Szerelem has a simple story, but to scribble down a summary is somehow to attempt to fence in with words a film that throws off definition. This is not to say that Szerelem is vague or impressionistic, rather that it is so acute a rendering of particular emotions in a particular time and place, that any description can only damage that specificity. Similarly, to try to express Szerelem's "meaning", is to attach crude slogans to its complexity. It must merely be experienced.
No harm can be done by telling you that the story takes place in 1950s Hungary, that the cinematography and performances are wonderful, that the unfurling of the narrative is constantly surprising, and that the final half an hour or so is almost unbearably emotionally tense. Please remember to keep breathing during these scenes.
No harm can be done by telling you that the story takes place in 1950s Hungary, that the cinematography and performances are wonderful, that the unfurling of the narrative is constantly surprising, and that the final half an hour or so is almost unbearably emotionally tense. Please remember to keep breathing during these scenes.