Sleepless Years (1959)
The "sleepless years" in this propaganda piece by director Felix Marlassy occur on Csepel Island, an island south of Budapest that is home to an armaments factory. The factory workers are shown being exploited by imperialists, capitalists gone berserk, and fascists, more or less in that exact chronological sequence. The heavy-handed approach does much to undercut the belief that when socialism finally takes over, the lives of the workers are brought up to a human level. In this instance, audiences might prefer a more nuanced and subtle statement, no matter what the message.
Released: Jan 21, 1959
Runtime: 107 minutes
Genre: Drama
Stars: Éva Ruttkai, Géza Tordy, Éva Vass, Agárdi Gábor, Mari Törőcsik, István Avar
Crew: Félix Máriássy (Director), Judit Máriássy (Writer), Ferencné Szécsényi (Editor), Zsazsa Lázár (Costume Design), Melinda Vasáry (Production Design), Imre Vincze (Original Music Composer)