Product Details

• Actors: Ferenc Bandi, Józsefné Rácz, József Forkas, Ferenc Nagy, Ferencné Virág
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: Hungarian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Homevision
• DVD Release Date: July 26, 2005
• Run Time: 78 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0009KQPBE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,483 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Hukkle" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Hungarian director György Pálfi's debut is a mesmerizing symphony of sight and sound that chronicles a series of mysterious interconnected events both idyllic and sinister. From an elderly man's hiccup (or hukkle) to a microscopically observed menagerie of animals, Hukkle lovingly magnifies the little moments of a summer day that usually pass unnoticed. With minimum dialogue, Hukkle brims with subtle secrets waiting to be unlocked and etches a quirky portrait of a rustic village where things are not what they seem.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Original and Challenging Film, June 2, 2007

By 

Derek W. Barker - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hukkle (DVD)

An old man has the hiccups. A mole digs underground. A family sit down to a meal. An old woman tends her garden. A pig's enormous testicles. Hukkle contains a series of images (both beautiful and disturbing) with no dialogue, and no apparent connection. The film challenges you to construct your own narrative.

The film portrays a day in the life of a rural village in Hungary. The images could be simple snapshots of the everyday lives of typical villagers -- or they could be clues to a sinister and disturbing mystery. Throughout the film, the viewer will be challenged to assemble the pieces, but nothing is revealed until the very end.

Be prepared to watch the film at least twice, since you will be completely lost during the first viewing.

In my opinion, Hukkle is one of the most original films I have every seen, and among the very best films of the last several years.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quirky, one-of-a-kind film, May 21, 2006

By 

LGwriter "SharpWitGuy" (Astoria, N.Y. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hukkle (DVD)

There's no dialogue in this short (75-minute) feature film, set in the small village of Ozora, Hungary. The title is Hungarian slang for hiccup, and the film starts with an old man (pictured on the cover of the DVD) doing just that.

The old man sits in the same place during the entire film, doing nothing but hiccuping and watching as events transpire around him including two funeral processions, the passing through of a supersonic fighter jet, the discovery of what appears to be a murdered inhabitant of the village, and other things as well.

A complex film, Hukkle integrates views of nature (extreme close-ups of moles, frogs, rabbits, snakes, fish, birds, cats, and insects) with daily village life including a primitive form of bocce, fish poaching, eating a group meal, working at various trades, and an old woman out harvesting some type of plant(s).

Pay careful attention, because there are ostensibly clues along the way as to the reason for the dead body (although personally, I found it tough to locate those clues).

There are flashes of surrealism as well. In one scene, a man parts a hanging set of multiple filmstrips (of the film we are watching)--rather than beads or fabric--to enter a room. In another, the inner skeletal workings of the jaws and head are revealed as a man eats his dinner.

There's a nice set of extras here including a 'Making of' featurette, deleted scenes, and director commentary. The film has won several awards and is definitely a unique experience, setting it apart from the works of the other two notable Hungarian film makers, Bela Tarr and Istvan Szabo.

Definitely recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A day in the life of a Hungarian town told by incredible cinematography and acute sound, January 21, 2011

By 

Patrick Wilkinson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hukkle (DVD)

A day in the life of a Hungarian town told by incredible cinematography and acute sound. At the age of 28 in 2002 György Pálfi has put together one of the most unique movie experiences out there. This dark yet funny film at first glance seems to be just a series of random events linked together by smooth camera transitions. But, there is an underlying story here, a caper if you will. "Hukkle" is an onomatopoeia that is supposed to imitate the sound of a hiccup. The opening scene of the film features an old man who cannot stop hiccuping, I believe the director was relating the pace of the film to a hiccup hence the name.

During the opening credits the first name featured was that of the sound engineer Tamás Zányi. A fitting honor since there is no dialog in this film, the story is told entirely through sound. Everything from a growing leaf of grass to a F-16 Fighter jet is represented in precise detail. It truly is amazing to watch and listen to a movie like this. It grabs a hold of you and even though the events are seemingly random, you just can't wait to see what will happen next. It's like watching a Hungarian reality show.

Once you realize that there is a story underneath all of this, it makes it even better. I won't ruin it by explaining the plot, just know by the end you should understand it. If not, there is a nice song at the end with the only subtitles in the film to help explain everything. Although, one would benefit from a second viewing to pick it all out.

Visually, this film is wonderful. Cinematographer Gergely Pohárnok was brilliant. Moving smoothly from one scene to the next going through doors, windows and even bodies. He used CGI or computer generated imaging for some of the scenes which seemed out of place for me. I think it was to showcase more of the sound as in the growing leaf, but I thought it was unnecessary. There were only a few quick cuts thankfully, although, one in particular might make you a little uncomfortable or comfortable if your into that sort of thing.

This film is not for everyone. Some may feel bored with this as the plot is barely there. But, if you view this on its technical merits you will be highly impressed.

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