Customer Reviews

The Memoirs Of A River [VHS]

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This is a stark, scary, emotionally draining piece of work that shows how hysteria similar to that of the "Witch Trials" of medieval Europe or 17th-century America can crop up even in a relatively modern, civilized society.

The "Tisza-Eszlar Affair," which this film documents, was an historically important murder trial that has been almost forgotten: a landmark case in forensic science. It took place in a backwater of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1882, and revolved around the "blood libel": the long-standing rumor that Jews commit ritual murder of Christians. This film is a bit heavy-handed, but appears to be a pretty accurate portrayal of the "crime," the investigation, and the trial (with perhaps a bit of historic license taken). There's some terrific characterization. The villainous Constable Vay is an Hungarian version of the stock character of many American films: the brutal good-ol-boy Sheriff. Defense attorney Eötovös is brilliantly underplayed; Rabbi Scharf presents pathos without undue histrionics. It's in Hungarian and Yiddish, with subtitles, but very easy to understand. Terrific cinematography, too. Highly recommended.