Csinibaba (1997)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Péter Tímár

Writers:

Gyula Márton (novel)
Péter Tímár (writer)

Release Date:

20 February 1997 (Hungary)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Plot:

1962-ben, amikor Gagarin urrepult es csaknem kitort a harmadik vilaghaboru, nalunk mar jo ideje nem tortent semmi es ugy nezett ki...

Plot Keywords:

1960s | Band | Local Blockbuster | Socialism | Hungary

Awards:

1 win

Cast

János Gálvölgyi	...	Uncle Simon
Sándor Almási	...	Attila
Anita Tóth	...	Angéla
Gábor Reviczky	...	Cézár
Éva Igó	...	Margit
Ildikó Tóth	...	Olga
Kristóf Németh	...	Félix
Natália Nagy	...	Manci
Balázs Lázár	...	Jenö
Vanda Kovács	...	Etelka
Béla Fesztbaum	...	Ede
Károly Safranek	...	Mr. Bajkon
Péter Andorai	...	Kúnó Purábl
Judit Pogány	...	Terike
Kati Lázár	...	Ernesztin

Also Known As:

Dollybirds

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

Hungary

Language:

Hungarian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Company:

MMA

Trivia:

The band's set-up is the following: Attila - vocals, lead guitar; Félix - vocals, bass guitar; Jenõ - rhythm guitar and Ede - drums. Although during the late-night rehearsal in the bar Attila has the rhythm guitar, Félix the solo guitar and Jenõ the bass.

Goofs:

Factual errors: At the beginning of the movie the date is 28 August 1962 (as said by Simon bá) and it is a Saturday as later revealed. But 28 August 1962 was a Tuesday.

Quotes:

Simon bá: By the way, I have also performed on stage many times. Didn't my son tell you? I was a performance artist. Not so long ago. But you know, the Movement...
Attila: Jenõ said that Simon bá' was at the State Protection Authority when...
Simon bá: Sure you don't want to go home, son?

Movie Connections:

Features La dolce vita (1960)

Soundtrack:

Egyedül a tóparton

A humanist parody of a short-lived genre

I must disagree with the other viewer's assessment. I have seen Csinibaba several times, and to me it is a deft parody of the socialist musicals of the 1960s [the documentary East Side Story is a witty exploration of the sub-genre]. It uses the socialist cliches of workers' gatherings, 'competitions' and such, that were used to show the People merrily building socialism in the original musicals, true; but every character in this film is suffused with a 'politically-incorrect' loneliness. The montage during the song "Valaki Kell Nekem Is" ["I Also Need Someone"] highlights the fact that everyone loses in this society. The loss is not tragic, just sad. True, the filmmaker had nothing to say about the seedy side of the reality--the side seen in Karoly Makk's "Szerelem" or Marta Meszaros' "Naplo a Gyermekeimnek"--but this is intentional, since Timar wanted to utilize this framework of the musical. "Megall az Ido" would be a good film to watch this one with--same time, same generation, but without the frame.