My parents were both born in Hungary but immigrated to the States in the early 1950’s. Although I was born and raised in Los Angeles, I speak fluent Hungarian and grew up playing the violin at various Hungarian events commemorating the 1956 Hungarian Revolution or fundraising for Hungarian Freedom Fighters. The photos I saw as a child of heroic Hungarians struggling against their vicious Soviet oppressors burned themselves into my consciousness and I attribute much of my visceral hatred for Communism and its related political doctrines to those searing images. Many of my friends and their families were drawn from among the 100,000 Hungarians who fled their beloved homeland once all hope for lasting freedom was crushed. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, I was even interviewed a number of times by Radio Free Europe, so I proudly claim a nearly infinitesimal grain of credit for helping to hasten the collapse of the “Evil Empire.”
Obviously, it was with particular interest, then, that I read Christian Toto’s interview with filmmaker Klaudia Kovács a few days ago, which alerted me to the only local showing of her 2007 documentary, “Torn From The Flag.” I suppose there are those who might accuse me of not being impartial to the subject matter – a charge to which I plead guilty – nevertheless, I have to say that in all respects I found the documentary to be brilliant and riveting. It tells the story of the brutal Soviet tyranny over Hungary from the end of World War II through the Revolution and its subsequent profound worldwide ramifications with straightforward clarity, pathos, and cinematic sweep.
Much of this is due to the amazing cinematography, which is understandable when one learns that the footage of the Revolution itself was shot by the eminent, Academy Award winning Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (Executive Producer) who, as a young filmmaker, documented the Revolution along with his film partner, the late László Kovács (also an Executive Producer). They both subsequently escaped to the West with thirty thousand feet of historic footage. Beyond that, Klaudia Kovács, who spent nine years making this superb documentary along with director Endre Hules, interview scores of spellbinding eye witnesses from both sides of the conflict and as the interviewees weave their tale we come to understand the fascinating and complicated milieu out of which the Revolution emerged.
The reason this film is so important is that it provides a much-needed dose of context, sorely missing in our modern world. Ronald Reagan was roundly mocked when he called the Soviet Union the “Evil Empire” yet no one seeing the sadistic Soviet cruelty, as related in this film, could ever honestly argue otherwise. We are also reminded, yet again, of the fecklessness of the United Nations, which was as much a moral and political cesspool in 1956 as it is today.
Everything, about this inspiring film is first-rate and I hope that since “Torn From The Flag” hasn’t received theatrical release in Los Angeles yet, perhaps when if finally finds wide distribution it will be considered for the Academy’s “Best Documentary” award. It has already deservedly won a whole slew of other major film prizes. Unfortunately, the Academy lately has seemed far too interested in honoring propaganda films like Al Gore’s self-aggrandizing Global Warming screed to help foster wide awareness of such a powerfully anti-Communist documentary. After all, it flies in the face of the moral relativism the Left has so assiduously promoted for decades. Still, the extraordinary production values and gripping nature of the story are so compelling that eventually it must find the wide audience it richly deserves.
If you love freedom and heroism, make it a point to see “Torn From the Flag” if you have the chance!
If you’re interested in the DVD or receiving more information about the film, please email: TornFromTheFlag@hotmail.com
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