Children of Glory
OK, it’s true – I don’t know enough (read: anything) about the 1956 revolution in Hungary, so I can’t really judge the accuracy of the film (as with I served the King of England)
I mean, I know there was a revolution, I know tanks were involved – it was in the news last year (the anniversary, not because they’d only just caught up with it). But I certainly have no idea whether any part of the film’s water polo player turns revolutionary story has any basis in fact. I assume that Hungary did win Olympic Gold that year, because even if the revolutionary isn’t real, why would you make that up? It’s not the most inspiring game, sleek torsos notwithstanding (mm, swimming trunks).
My impression of the film is that it’s pretty much a water polo player itself – sleek, handsome, well put together, expensive, and not altogether too bright.
It’s certainly all very noble and heroic, with just enough gore and arbitrary violence to stop it being too rose-tinted – but it too often slips into overt emotional manipulation (killings of a young boy, a pregnant women – and the long drawn out countdown to the execution of the girl that the polo player turns revolutionary to impress) and so it never rises above a glossy, Hollywoody action epic, a peculiar mix of sports movie and war movie.
In an aside, I recognised the actor playing the lead’s friend from the great little black comedy Kontroll – seek that film out instead…
I saw:
- 24/08/07, 5pm: Children of Glory (Filmhouse 1 EIFF)
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