Customer Reviews

My Twentieth Century [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was disturbed to see those reviews that considered only the pure sensousness of the film, as if its brilliance indicates a lack of greater purpose. Don't let the incredible film sequencing and luminousity take charge here--there is greater depth to the film than the gorgeous filmwork! No, I don't understand all of this film yet, but it will be a wonderful lifetime figuring it out--and I think that is essentially the tale that this film tells.

This jewel, shot in black and white, is visually stunning. The story is light-hearted and brimming with humor. The film represents the very definition of high-art. It will likely be recieved as frivolous and nonsensical by the rigid and quasi-mature; however, open minds and free spirits will return time and again to bask in the pure pleasure.

A gorgeous film of endless delight. Each frame breathes with supple, pleasing artistry. Images and ideas soar and subtly shine in a winning effort at total engagement with the viewer's spirit. A carefree, soulful and inquisitive treasure. Pure joy.

It was definitely an interesting experience first watching this film, the story involves two twin girls who are poor and destitute, who are taken and separated, Dorota Segda in the starring role as the late mother of the twin girls and the dual role of the twin girls, who live different but separate lives, one a frivolous woman of privilege and the other a disenfranchised revolutionary who unbeknownst to each other fall into a love triangle with the same man and unbeknownst to him too. The story takes at the begining of the industrial revolution, begins with the invention of the light bulb and ends with the invention of the telegraph, the director manages to intertwine the period history with the human story above, the cinematography I feel is awesome without having to be aware of it, and works great in black and white, so well that you would almost hate to see it colorized, if this ever comes out on DVD I'm definitely grabbing it..

I don't write reviews very often, but I had to voice an opinion on this film. It is one of the best films that I have ever seen. It is visually rich, extremely intelligent, excellent production, and has some very profound moments. I'll leave those unsaid for any future viewers to see with their own eyes. To the first reviewer who gave this 1 star, you're just hopeless. And to the comment on the film not addressing more of the 20th century, the reviewer completely missed the title of the film not to mention everything else. It's not a documentary of the 20th century. It's a beautifully rendered description of the idealism and reality that shaped the directors' world, namely Eastern Europe. However, it's explorations apply on a much larger scale as they surpass purely political and historical concerns and approach a beautiful, even poetic visual statement of the human condition. Don't be misguided, this movie is great. There are scenes in this film that made me remember that magical feeling one had when one first saw the wonder of a 'movie' playing in front of one's eyes.

I would just like to add that I found many of the scenes quite funny, e.g. I particularly like the short sequence when the camera followed one of Pavlov's dogs on its adventures, after it escaped from the lab.

Edit (April 2011)...
It's sad that this film has been out for over 20 years and it still hasn't been offered on DVD.

With a title like "My Twentieth Century" you would think the film would be about the twentieth century. Well it is and it isn't.

The film was directed by Ildiko Enyedi (his debut film) and won the Cannes film festival's "Camera d' or".

We follow two girls Dora and Lili (both played by the extremely beautiful Dortha Segda, who makes her debut here as well and might not be commonly known, is actually not Hungarian, she's Polish) who are sisters which were seperated at birth. Each girl takes a different path in life. Dora is a carefree lively spirit. Lili is very political and much more serious minded.

Enyedi tells these characters stories as the twentieth century is taking shape. No "defining" moments of the century are presented as a backdrop of any event in these girls life but the movie does make some references to sex and politics.

Besides Segda's performance, which is as pure as any you will ever see, the film doesn't quite reach the grand ambitious Enyedi has set for the film. Though it is not deserving of some of the comments it has been getting. If some people feel the movie takes on too much, that is the exact opposite reaction I had to the film. I thought it could have taken on more! Where were moments dealing with World War 1? And since this is a Hungarian film I thought there would be some mention of 56.

What we seem to have here is yet again another case of people being a little "tougher" and critical of a film because it is Hungarian.

Hungarian films aren't exactly sweeping across U.S. theatres. For some reason or other Eastern European films seem to have a difficult time getting distributed in this country, regardless of which country they are from.

Some moments in "My Twentieth Century" are quite good. There are a few humorous moments, some wonderful cinematography and as I already mentioned Segda's performance is very impressive especially when you consider it was her first role.

This is quite an ambitious film for a first timer. Much could have went wrong but Enyedi displays a good visual eye and demonstrates a clear understanding of how to tell an effective story. Sadly he hasn't done much which has caught the public's eye. He did direct a film called "Simon magus " (aka Simon the Magician) which managed to create some buzz.

"My Twentieth Century" (aka Az en xx. szazadom) could have touched upon more moments in history and try to build that into the story but there are small delights to be found in this film if you are willing to look. Walk in with an open mind.

Bottom-line: Ambitious film from first time director Ildiko Enyedi that doesn't go far enough. Needed to show us more of the twentieth century and its defining moments.

"My Twentieth Century", is not a vulgarly prosaic film about human extremities amidst the grandiosity of technology, but of love amidst the ideological milieu that scientific acheivement engenders. If one can understand that woman/man is still the highest corporeal food in the universe this filmic "gordian knot" unravels easily. If one cannot understand this it is the result of an atrophying of the meaning of the ethereal for which the blame can be assigned not to science but, to that field of defiling abstractions called politics--of the 20th century kind.

Horrible little film that sounds promising in the reviews, but don't be persuaded. This film has no plot, no sublety (though it feigns such), and no artistic quality whatsoever. The only good thing about it is Dora's good looks. Otherwise, don't bother.