Ein Lied von Liebe und Tod
Encyclopedia
Ein Lied von Liebe und Tod (Gloomy Sunday — A Song of Love and Death) is a 1999 film, a German/Hungarian co-production.
Although the movie centers on a romantic love triangle with tragic consequences, it has a strong history background, set in Hungary
during World War II
. The film is based on the novel by Nick Barkow, co-written and directed by Rolf Schübel and tells a fictional story about the creation of the infamous song "Gloomy Sunday
". Starring are Joachim Król
(László, Jewish restaurant owner), Erika Marozsán
(Ilona, waitress and László's lover), Stefano Dionisi (András, pianist who creates "Gloomy Sunday") and Ben Becker
(Hans Wieck, a German business man who becomes an SS officer).
Back in the late 1930s in Budapest
restaurant owner László Szabo (a Jew by birth) and his beautiful lover and waitress, Ilona (the woman in the photograph) hire a young pianist, András, to play in their restaurant. András falls in love with Ilona and she with him, though she still maintains a lover's relationship with László. András is inspired to write the song "Gloomy Sunday" for Ilona's birthday, the same night that a young Hans (who also shares the same birthday) takes the picture of her and asks her to marry him, though she refuses him. Later that night Hans tries to commit suicide by jumping into the Danube, but László saves him and Hans returns to Germany. The resulting song "Gloomy Sunday" is recorded and though very popular at first soon becomes feared by the public for its melancholy melody which seems to trigger a series of suicide
s. András comes to regret writing the song and nearly attempts suicide himself but is stopped by Ilona and László before he can take a small vial of poison. András, László and Ilona form a tenuous though touching personal and professional relationship in which both men share the love of the beautiful Ilona. It has its problems, as articulated by László to Ilona during an argument he is having with András in front of her: "Easy for you, you've got all you need. You have two men, and each of us only half a woman."
After a few years Nazi Germany
captures Budapest
and Hans returns. He is now an SS officer and responsible for organizing the transport of Budapest's Jews to the concentration camps; however, he uses his position to save the wealthiest Jews (and allows them to secretly leave German Europe) in exchange for large "gifts" of goods and money. One night at the restaurant Hans brings a fellow SS officer to Szabos and insists that András play his fateful composition. András refuses but is compelled to do so when Ilona begins to sing the words to the song, something she has told him she would never do unless she were alone. When the song is over András kills himself by grabbing Hans's pistol and shooting himself in the head.
After they bury András, László and Ilona pledge their love to each other and László puts the restaurant in her name to keep it from being confiscated by the Nazis. At Ilona's request Hans promises to protect László from being rounded up for "special treatment". However, as the Russians are closing in on Budapest, László is arrested and sent to the railway station to be transferred to a concentration camp. Ilona hurries to Hans' headquarters to ask him to intervene which he promises to do, making it clear that she must sleep with him to seal the bargain. A tearful Ilona submits to save her lover, but Hans betrays them, passing László by at the station and saving another Jew whose family had already paid him a large ransom. The historical section of the film ends with the revelation of Ilona's pregnancy as she "speaks" to András at his grave, leaving the audience unsure who might be the father of her child.
Back in the present, media reporters are paying tribute to the deceased Hans, as he is being put into his casket and driven away in a hearse. Ironically, Hans Wieck is being remembered not only as a wealthy industrialist but also as someone who saved "a thousand Hungarian Jews" during the war. In the closing scene of the film, the middle-age waiter at Szabos pours two glasses of champagne and returns to the kitchen where an older Ilona (his mother) is washing out the bottle of poison taken from András so long ago. Her son congratulates her on her birthday and the two embrace with the song "Gloomy Sunday" playing in the background.
Although the movie centers on a romantic love triangle with tragic consequences, it has a strong history background, set in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The film is based on the novel by Nick Barkow, co-written and directed by Rolf Schübel and tells a fictional story about the creation of the infamous song "Gloomy Sunday
Gloomy Sunday
"Gloomy Sunday" is a song composed by Hungarian pianist and composer Rezső Seress and published in 1933, as "Vége a világnak" . Lyrics were written by László Jávor, and in his version the song was retitled "Szomorú vasárnap"...
". Starring are Joachim Król
Joachim Król
Joachim Król is a German actor, known for his appearances in the films Run Lola Run, Maybe, Maybe Not and Anne Frank: The Whole Story.-Life and work:...
(László, Jewish restaurant owner), Erika Marozsán
Erika Marozsán
Erika Marozsán is a Hungarian actress. Her first movie appearance was in the hit Hungarian film, "Béketárgyalás, avagy az évszázad csütörtökig tart" , released in 1989...
(Ilona, waitress and László's lover), Stefano Dionisi (András, pianist who creates "Gloomy Sunday") and Ben Becker
Ben Becker
Ben Becker is a German film and theatre actor.- Life and work :Becker is the son of actress Monika Hansen and actor Rolf Becker. He is the brother of actress Meret Becker and the stepson of Otto Sander. His grandmother was the comedian Claire Schlichting...
(Hans Wieck, a German business man who becomes an SS officer).
Plot summary
The film opens and closes in the modern era. A German industrialist, Hans Wieck, returns to Budapest with his family on the occasion of his 80th birthday having been stationed there during World War II. During dinner at his favorite restaurant, Szabo's, Hans regales his family and friends with stories of his many visits to the restaurant before and during the war. As he relishes his favorite dish, "Beef Rolls" he suddenly collapses with the song "Gloomy Sunday" being played, at his request, by two musicians. As he dies he sees a portrait of a beautiful woman taken many years before. This portrait is the device by which the film travels back in time to Budapest just before the war.Back in the late 1930s in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
restaurant owner László Szabo (a Jew by birth) and his beautiful lover and waitress, Ilona (the woman in the photograph) hire a young pianist, András, to play in their restaurant. András falls in love with Ilona and she with him, though she still maintains a lover's relationship with László. András is inspired to write the song "Gloomy Sunday" for Ilona's birthday, the same night that a young Hans (who also shares the same birthday) takes the picture of her and asks her to marry him, though she refuses him. Later that night Hans tries to commit suicide by jumping into the Danube, but László saves him and Hans returns to Germany. The resulting song "Gloomy Sunday" is recorded and though very popular at first soon becomes feared by the public for its melancholy melody which seems to trigger a series of suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
s. András comes to regret writing the song and nearly attempts suicide himself but is stopped by Ilona and László before he can take a small vial of poison. András, László and Ilona form a tenuous though touching personal and professional relationship in which both men share the love of the beautiful Ilona. It has its problems, as articulated by László to Ilona during an argument he is having with András in front of her: "Easy for you, you've got all you need. You have two men, and each of us only half a woman."
After a few years Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
captures Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and Hans returns. He is now an SS officer and responsible for organizing the transport of Budapest's Jews to the concentration camps; however, he uses his position to save the wealthiest Jews (and allows them to secretly leave German Europe) in exchange for large "gifts" of goods and money. One night at the restaurant Hans brings a fellow SS officer to Szabos and insists that András play his fateful composition. András refuses but is compelled to do so when Ilona begins to sing the words to the song, something she has told him she would never do unless she were alone. When the song is over András kills himself by grabbing Hans's pistol and shooting himself in the head.
After they bury András, László and Ilona pledge their love to each other and László puts the restaurant in her name to keep it from being confiscated by the Nazis. At Ilona's request Hans promises to protect László from being rounded up for "special treatment". However, as the Russians are closing in on Budapest, László is arrested and sent to the railway station to be transferred to a concentration camp. Ilona hurries to Hans' headquarters to ask him to intervene which he promises to do, making it clear that she must sleep with him to seal the bargain. A tearful Ilona submits to save her lover, but Hans betrays them, passing László by at the station and saving another Jew whose family had already paid him a large ransom. The historical section of the film ends with the revelation of Ilona's pregnancy as she "speaks" to András at his grave, leaving the audience unsure who might be the father of her child.
Back in the present, media reporters are paying tribute to the deceased Hans, as he is being put into his casket and driven away in a hearse. Ironically, Hans Wieck is being remembered not only as a wealthy industrialist but also as someone who saved "a thousand Hungarian Jews" during the war. In the closing scene of the film, the middle-age waiter at Szabos pours two glasses of champagne and returns to the kitchen where an older Ilona (his mother) is washing out the bottle of poison taken from András so long ago. Her son congratulates her on her birthday and the two embrace with the song "Gloomy Sunday" playing in the background.
Awards
- Deutscher FilmpreisDeutscher FilmpreisThe Deutscher Filmpreis is the highest German movie award. From 1951 to 2004 it was awarded by a commission, since 2005 the award has been given by the Deutsche Filmakademie...
2000: Best Screenplay - Bavarian Film Awards 2000: Best Director, Best Cinematography
Screenings
- It is inaccurately claimed to be the world's longest-running film because it has screened nightly since 2001 at the boutique Academy Cinemas in the Christchurch Arts CentreChristchurch Arts CentreThe Christchurch Arts Centre is a hub for arts, crafts and entertainment in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located in the neo-gothic former University of Canterbury buildings, the majority of which were designed by Benjamin Mountfort...
in New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. But the Indian film Dilwale Dulhania Le JayengeDilwale Dulhania Le JayengeDilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge , also known as DDLJ, is a Hindi language film released on 20 October 1995. A romantic comedy, the film marked the directorial debut of Aditya Chopra, and stars Shahrukh Khan and Kajol...
(15 years) and Harold and MaudeHarold and MaudeHarold and Maude is a 1971 American dark comedy film directed by Hal Ashby and released by Paramount Pictures. It incorporates elements of dark humor and existentialist drama, with a plot that revolves around the exploits of a young man intrigued with death, Harold...
(32 years) have both had longer runs. - The movie ran daily for 70 consecutive weeks at the West Newton Cinema in West Newton, MassachusettsWest Newton, MassachusettsWest Newton is a village of the City of Newton, Massachusetts and is one of the oldest of the thirteen Newton villages. The postal code 02465 roughly matches the village limits.-Location:...
.
External links
- Ein Lied von Liebe und Tod (Gloomy Sunday) at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...