Review of Land of Storms (2014) by Mark S — 15 Feb 2016

Immense, tragic ennui equals beauty in Ádám Császi's first full-length feature "Viharsarok". A movie inspired by a true story, it follows Szabi (Andras Suto), a Hungarian soccer player working in Germany. For undefined reasons- some of which might revolve around a yearning he obviously feels for teammate Bernard (Sebastian Urzendowsky)-, Szabi burns his bridges with the team coach and leaves his successful but homophobia-filled life in sports behind. He returns to Hungary, to an inherited old country house about to fall apart at the seams. He begins a tedious process of renovating the old building under the harsh summer sun.

Then one nigh Szabi wakes up to a local delinquent (Adam Varga) trying to steal his motorcycle. He catches the thief and instead of turning him in has the man help out with the building project. He learns the thief-to-be is called Aron. The two men began a quiet co-operation. They build an equally quiet rapport that gradually slips into sexual areas. Aron, having grown up in denial in rural Hungary, mentions this to his mother, making it sound as if the consensual act was all by Szabi's initiative.

The rumor spreads. Aron is soon actively persecuted by his former friends. People decide that Szabi is a dangerous outside influence and must go as well. He forgives Aron who returns, desperate for care as an outcast. The two men lead a silent but intense live of their own until one day Bernard shows up. A complicated ménage à trois emerges.

The plot might sound soapy and underwhelming on the surface, but this piece has depth to share. We are in enigmatic layers of the human condition, travelling through the complexities of each character's sexuality and psyche.

"Viharsarok" is endlessly beautiful in its visuals and storytelling. At the same time it's deeply somber and hopeless. There is very little dialog, takes are long, but every second is packed with telling psychological intensity. The direction and acting are both spot-on. Hungarian landscapes at dusk become one with the male form. The cinematography is grittily stunning, the movie saturated by deep, meaningful homoeroticism, extremely stylized and touchingly melancholic in tone.