Synopsis: Director István Szabó, as he so masterfully does in FATHER and 25 FIREMAN'S STREET, structures LOVE FILM around a series of flashbacks that revel in and indulge the memories of Jansci (András Bálint), a 27-year-old Hungarian living in Budapest. Jansci plans to go to France to visit Kata... Director István Szabó, as he so masterfully does in FATHER and 25 FIREMAN'S STREET, structures LOVE FILM around a series of flashbacks that revel in and indulge the memories of Jansci (András Bálint), a 27-year-old Hungarian living in Budapest. Jansci plans to go to France to visit Kata (Judit Halász), a woman his own age who was his constant companion and friend in his childhood. LOVE FILM's main theme is the nature of this rare relationship--a boy and a girl who, prior to puberty, share an intimacy similar to adult lovers and are even denounced by their Communist Youth League for their special friendship. But when they become young adults, their attempt at a more romantic, sexual relationship proves to be more awkward. LOVE FILM is staged as a series of overlapping sequences--at one point, the young boy watches the man he will become ride by on his bicycle--and many scenes, such as the children ice-skating on a makeshift rink in a vacant lot, carry the feeling of lost innocence. Szabó also deals with the loss of political innocence when the Russian invasion puts down the government's liberal reforms, causing Kata to flee to France, where she becomes a fashion designer. When Jancsi goes to visit her, they try to begin a romance based on their childhood friendship and a recent spate of love letters. However, as the two find out, love is never easy.... [More]