terrible... so disappointed.

Better Late Then Never

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Torzok a.k.a. Abandoned is set in a Hungarian orphanage in 1960, which means pretty much anyone watching the movie is simply an alien to the subject and setting. But it captivates you, teaches you, and delivers an excellent medley of emotions. The boys, the good teacher, the nasty headmaster, the lady.. Everyone's showing pearls of acting! The soundtrack is good too. By the time I'm writing this review, the movie is rated 6.4 on IMDB, and that's absolutely underrated. I wasn't impressed by the ending, but other than that the movie was quite fascinating. A Swedish movie called Ondskan, which is somewhat similar to this one in subject, is considerably better. So if you like this one, you should see that one too. But then again, if you like that one, you should see this one too! I think Abandoned could have been longer, and the ending could have been much better. Nonetheless, it's a marvellous movie and I'll give it an 8.5/10 easily.

WARNING - CONTAINS SPOILERSSet in Hungary, this film follows the life of Aron, a young boy left to the mercy of an orphanage. A powerful and commanding performance by the entire cast will truly draw you into their stories. It would be unfair to single out the performance of Tamás Mészáros, as Aron, simply because the rest of the cast is so strong it makes this film a true ensemble piece.This is not an easy film to watch. The immeasurable cruelty suffered by the children, at the hands of their teachers is agonising to watch. You genuinely feel for them, this is so real. The teachers are played with remarkable talent, the cast never flinching from the paths that have been laid out before them. I would imagine that their roles were as difficult to enact as they were to watch, and they are due an immense amount of respect for their portrayal of cold, calculating and manipulative excuses for human beings.Throughout the film, Aron's indomitable spirit will stay with you, as you follow his woeful story, to it's conclusion.The treatment suffered by these children is brutal. The teachers are ba****ds, and I make no apology for using that word. They are not worthy of anything more. This is a harsh, eyeopening lesson that children should always be seen AND heard.There is only one benevolent teacher, whom Aron befriends, as together, they share a love of astronomy. Their friendship is doomed to a bitter end. Tortured by his conscience, the only good man commits suicide, and the impact of this is the eventual escape plan, lead by our young protagonist.At this point, one would be forgiven for thinking this is where everything will turn out just fine and dandy, and all will be right with the world. Forget it. There are no happy endings here, no winners and no justice. I will not go into the fate that awaits these unfortunate children, but I guarantee that the end of this film will bring a tear to even the most hardened of eyes.This film has an astonishing cast, who portray their respective characters with a reality that will haunt you for some time after. Emotionally draining it may be, but at the same time it is essential viewing, and as a piece of foreign cinema, offers another peek through the windows of someone elses world. This film isn't afraid to make a statement, and trust me, make a statement is exactly what it does. There are lessons in the tale which we would all do well to heed.If you buy only one DVD in the coming months, make it this one.

This is a Hungarian film about a child being abandoned by his father. The child was sent to an orphanage, where he and other children were treated cruelly by the orphanage master. The children could not tolerate such torture anymore, and decided to escape. Although, the escape was successful, one of the children fell into the river and died. Another child got a high fever. Therefore, they had to seek help. Back in the orphanage they were punished cruelly, and the children were made to bear the name of murderers.I think it would be good if the film would say something about why the children suddenly ended up back in the orphanage after their escape. Did they walk back? Were they caught by the police? Were they caught by the orphanage master? It didn't say in the film.When I watched this film, I felt very sad. I could not believe that children could be treated so badly. They had to whip each other as a form of punishment. If they show any mercy they will be punished too. In this environment of terror, I think it is very harmful to the development of the children. Without love and care, the children will grow up to become delinquents.And yet, I believe that there are many institution in the world that treats children like this. As many people would know, the orphan problem is very bad in Eastern Europe. There are many orphans living in orphanages, and even more orphans have to live on the streets or in the sewers. They are left alone by their parents, and even outcast by their society. I feel very touched by this film. Indeed, many viewers of this film were touched, too, they felt very sorry for the children. Maybe this film can increase the awareness of the orphan problem in the world. When the awareness increase, then the children are more likely to receive a better treatment.

This film is set in an orphanage in Hungary in 1960. Aaron is left there by his father. At first the other boys abuse him, but soon they accept him. Unfortunately, the man who runs the orphanage is sadistic and cruel.While the film feels manipulative at times and seems to have the basic message that life sucks, the one word I would use to describe the film is "haunting." The performances are very good, especially considering the young age of most of the actors. The cinematography and direction are also quite good, especially in the arresting dream sequences near the beginning and end of the film. Most people will probably never have a chance to see this, but I highly recommend it if you do. Seen at Cinequest (the San Jose, CA film festival) on 2/22/2002.