1945 | ChaiFlicks Highlights

Devastating. Haunting. Memorable. Eloquent. 

‍1945 constructs an unforgettable story about a community that must face its involvement in the Holocaust—and it is absolutely tantalizing. In an exquisite and precise style reminiscent of the Western, secrets are revealed in a nail-bitingly anxious fashion that will have any audience on the front of their seat.

A Tension-Filled, Western-Inspired Drama

Based on the acclaimed short story “Homecoming” by Gábor T. Szántó (who is also one of the film’s screenwriters), 1945 follows a small Hungarian village when an elderly Orthodox man and his grown son arrive as the inhabitants prepare for the town clerk’s son’s wedding. Fearing that the men may have returned to reclaim the property of deported Jewish families which the townsfolk have taken for themselves, 1945 is a beautiful, eerie meditation on a community’s involvement in persecution. 

As Ben Kenigsberg from the New York Times praises, 1945 is “A Holocaust film built, consciously or not, on a reversal of the tropes of the western, down to ticking clocks that might as well be nearing high noon.”

Gorgeous, Tragic Storytelling

1945’s black and white cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. Every deliberate frame slowly reveals the town’s secrets and anxieties while reminding the audience of the recent atrocities committed. 

Beyond its image, 1945’s soundscape is perfect. Whether it be the diegetic sound of the train as it approaches the village or radio situating the audience in Hungary’s current political situation, any viewer will feel truly immersed in 1945’s past. Furthermore, the seemingly constant clangs in orchestral sound help in building an intense sense of doom, making for an uneasy, yet engaging viewing experience. 

The Guardian’s Leslie Felperin concurs, raving that, “Composer Tibor Szemzo’s gloomy, string-laden score is rather less delicate and punches every emotional note like jackhammer.” 

1945’s stunning visual and auditory elements not only make for a breathtaking film, but also elevate its tension and discussion of guilt in the wake of horrific evils. From the town clerk István’s (Péter Rudolf) frantic voyage across town to warn others and preserve this wealth to dunkard Bandi (József Szarvas), who drowns his remorse in booze, very few of the villagers acknowledge (but rather seek to hide) their own accountability in the deportation and deaths of their Jewish neighbors and friends.

Critics certainly agree—1945 is a festival darling, Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and the Los Angeles Times Critics Pick!

Stream 1945 on ChaiFlicks.