Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List
Spoiler-free premise
Residents of a collapsing Hungarian collective farm plan to divide their money until the supposedly dead Irimiás returns with another scheme.
Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free+
At a rain-soaked collective farm, Futaki discovers that the Schmidts intend to escape with the residents' shared earnings. News that charismatic Irimiás has returned interrupts the plan, and the community gathers to hear his promise of work and a new beginning.
Why it belongs
Tarr and Hranitzky make collective breakdown mesmeric through downpour, mire, an accordion refrain, circular narration, black-and-white depth, and long takes that expose every thwarted departure.
Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case+
A bell without a church, muddy roads, pub dancing, windblown rooms, Mihály Víg's accordion theme, repeated events from altered viewpoints, and slow tracking shots make seven hours of duration structural rather than ornamental.
Major award wins
No verified wins in this six-institution crosswalk.
Awards are reference metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Good for
Film Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.
Institutional reference ranks
Sight & Sound78IMDb Top 250—AFI 100—
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score
Great Cinema Master List scores
Greatness9.4
Engagement4.5
Ease1.0
Hungarian · Not Rated Narrative Feature Mood: Extreme Commitment