Csillagosok, katonák (The Red and The White) Reviews

it's true the film has no real plot or central characters-- and that's exactly the point. it's a series of skirmishes between the red (soviet) and the white (tsarists), plus assorted hungarian volunteers, immediately following the russian revolution. the film makes no judgement between the two sides, leading it to be banned by the soviets, who had funded it. one great statement about the chaos and futility of war

While exquisitely filmed, "The Red and the White" lacks any kind of traditional story, much less a beginning and an end to its tale. In fact, the movie consists of a series of skirmishes between the well-outfitted and armed White armies and the remnants of the Red armies during the Russian Civil War in 1919. A good deal of this involves the hunting and executing of military prisoners, first sorting them into Russians and foreigners, before ordering them to take off their shirts which can either be considered a symbol of dehumanization or a sign that beneath a uniform, we are all the same. Like volunteers and insurgents in the Spanish Civil War and the current Gulf Wars, right or wrong, they see a struggle that transcends simple nationality. In this case, it is Hungarian soldiers who have traveled to Russia to aid the Red armies, hoping that their actions will help the revolution which in return will spur change in their own country. They might be glad to know their actions will indeed have an effect on the future of their country, if not exactly what they intended. Not only did Hungary not get the brand of socialism they wanted for it, but there were also the Soviet tanks of 1956.

Not good. No plot. Not too many dialogues either. It was basically one hour and thirty minutes of watching men getting exterminated.

Um filme belamente dirigido e que não glamoriza a guerra, muito pelo contrario, mostra todo o horror causado por ela.

Two things stood out for me; the elliptical almost peripatetic camera and the wonderful disjointed feeling of being a participant in the action this induced and a silver birch wood, so luminous I shall go back and back.

Jansco likes to use the whole reel when he films and its effect is magnificent. Constant fluctuation in power making it impossible to know where the film is going. Hungarian cinema at its finest.

The film presents the brutality of civil war as chillingly mundane. It reminds me of Hannah Arendt's comment on the banality of evil.

While exquisitely filmed, "The Red and the White" lacks any kind of traditional story, much less a beginning and an end to its tale. In fact, the movie consists of a series of skirmishes between the well-outfitted and armed White armies and the remnants of the Red armies during the Russian Civil War in 1919. A good deal of this involves the hunting and executing of military prisoners, first sorting them into Russians and foreigners, before ordering them to take off their shirts which can either be considered a symbol of dehumanization or a sign that beneath a uniform, we are all the same. Like volunteers and insurgents in the Spanish Civil War and the current Gulf Wars, right or wrong, they see a struggle that transcends simple nationality. In this case, it is Hungarian soldiers who have traveled to Russia to aid the Red armies, hoping that their actions will help the revolution which in return will spur change in their own country. They might be glad to know their actions will indeed have an effect on the future of their country, if not exactly what they intended. Not only did Hungary not get the brand of socialism they wanted for it, but there were also the Soviet tanks of 1956.

This movie depicts Russia's 1918 civil war on a small scale.
There is no central character and no clear plot outside of two opposing forces trying too hold onto a small area of land along the Volga river.
The cinematography is done well and the movie is very interesting, thou it may be a bit slow for some viewers.

Viewed 11/22/03 (VHS) (First Viewing)

For his epic war film [b]The Red and the White[/b], director Miklós Jancso reduces the two opposing sides to tiny dots lining sweeping landscapes, rendering them indefinable from each other. By doing this, Jancso is able to effectively demonstrate how meaningless and utterly absurd war really is when looked at from an objective perspective.

We as viewers are never allowed to get close enough to any one person in the film to start creating an attatchment of one kind or another, so it is the visuals and pace are required to carry the film. Thankfully, they do. The black and white cinematography is extraordinary, complete with sweeping plains, forests of birch trees and an ancient monastery. It is because the film is so visually gorgeous that it's able to maintain the viewer's attention.

Overall an interesting film, though not one that causes great affection.