"The Red and the White" (Language - Hungarian/Russian) (1967) - Movie Review

If making it difficult to follow is the aesthetic and objective vision director Miklós Jancsó wanted to be in “The Red and the White” which nomadically goes through the Russian Civil war in 1919, then it defeats the purpose of grasping the gravity and cruelty of the atrocities executed in it. It is a numb exercise on to the grounds of the fight between the Reds with the support of Hungarians on the Whites in then soviet land. It does claim its stand on neutral ground but its inert existence of expressionless persons in the field makes us lethargic, detached and frustrating.

The film does not have any focus on one particular character or group as such. The history or the philosophy of this war is never discussed. The audience for this film is narrowed down to the nationality and people aware of the history. It does not educate which is not much expected but the ideology behind or at least the genesis of this chaos could have further been reviewed. Instead we get group of people capturing different places and shifts the momentum of power and control directly providing the hunting arena for killings, molesting and humiliation.

The film style recognized more of Tarkovsky’s handling and since I have not been impressed with his movies either, it is a minus factor. The production is grandeur with a camera work rarely fathomed in those times by Tamás Somló gives a spectacular aerial view with fast moving cameras and gliding lateral adjustments of the characters are feats to this sullen film. The intention comes clear out of the mud later in the film which is the commonality in between the two sides taking control. The control over a territory and the clinical eradication of the unarmed opposites is cold. Also the men following the strict code of military conduct does not hesitate to shoot their own men for harassing behaviour over the civilians or fearful. The contradiction in the values arises when the same men come soon to conclude on forced treason of a nurse.

The dialogues are mere aiding factors in barking orders and softly dismissing the enemies with blaring gun shots. In between these chaotic events, both the armies find ways to entertain themselves through the innocent civilians. Either romancing with the nurses or ordering the nurses to command them to middle of nowhere to Waltz for their band, these men are complex and dangerous personalities.

The expectation out of a war movie on focusing the exaggerated dramatic events is avoided within few minutes into the film. It is driven by the actions and discernible events to sense us on the surroundings of an environment completely barren both in judgments and mercy. What become are zombies walking off shooting each other based on their positions. Even the slightly passionate nurse and soldier relationship is bland and absence of vivid emotions. This not only brings down the film but puts doubts in the reality of that situation.

Sure it has the artistic photography and some poetic shots of randomness but those are minute dots in a white sheet of nothingness. Some say focusing on the dots is the talent out in this movie but the uncharacteristic style of making caught on to my nerve very soon and was hoping when this sporadic art will end.