Review: Torn From The Flag
by Endre Balogh
My parents were both born in Hungary but immigrated to the States in the early 1950’s. Although I was born and raised in Los Angeles, I speak fluent Hungarian and grew up playing the violin at various Hungarian events commemorating the 1956 Hungarian Revolution or fundraising for Hungarian Freedom Fighters. The photos I saw as a child of heroic Hungarians struggling against their vicious Soviet oppressors burned themselves into my consciousness and I attribute much of my visceral hatred for Communism and its related political doctrines to those searing images. Many of my friends and their families were drawn from among the 100,000 Hungarians who fled their beloved homeland once all hope for lasting freedom was crushed. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, I was even interviewed a number of times by Radio Free Europe, so I proudly claim a nearly infinitesimal grain of credit for helping to hasten the collapse of the “Evil Empire.”
Obviously, it was with particular interest, then, that I read Christian Toto’s interview with filmmaker Klaudia Kovács a few days ago, which alerted me to the only local showing of her 2007 documentary, “Torn From The Flag.” I suppose there are those who might accuse me of not being impartial to the subject matter – a charge to which I plead guilty – nevertheless, I have to say that in all respects I found the documentary to be brilliant and riveting. It tells the story of the brutal Soviet tyranny over Hungary from the end of World War II through the Revolution and its subsequent profound worldwide ramifications with straightforward clarity, pathos, and cinematic sweep.
Much of this is due to the amazing cinematography, which is understandable when one learns that the footage of the Revolution itself was shot by the eminent, Academy Award winning Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (Executive Producer) who, as a young filmmaker, documented the Revolution along with his film partner, the late László Kovács (also an Executive Producer). They both subsequently escaped to the West with thirty thousand feet of historic footage. Beyond that, Klaudia Kovács, who spent nine years making this superb documentary along with director Endre Hules, interview scores of spellbinding eye witnesses from both sides of the conflict and as the interviewees weave their tale we come to understand the fascinating and complicated milieu out of which the Revolution emerged.
The reason this film is so important is that it provides a much-needed dose of context, sorely missing in our modern world. Ronald Reagan was roundly mocked when he called the Soviet Union the “Evil Empire” yet no one seeing the sadistic Soviet cruelty, as related in this film, could ever honestly argue otherwise. We are also reminded, yet again, of the fecklessness of the United Nations, which was as much a moral and political cesspool in 1956 as it is today.
Everything, about this inspiring film is first-rate and I hope that since “Torn From The Flag” hasn’t received theatrical release in Los Angeles yet, perhaps when if finally finds wide distribution it will be considered for the Academy’s “Best Documentary” award. It has already deservedly won a whole slew of other major film prizes. Unfortunately, the Academy lately has seemed far too interested in honoring propaganda films like Al Gore’s self-aggrandizing Global Warming screed to help foster wide awareness of such a powerfully anti-Communist documentary. After all, it flies in the face of the moral relativism the Left has so assiduously promoted for decades. Still, the extraordinary production values and gripping nature of the story are so compelling that eventually it must find the wide audience it richly deserves.
If you love freedom and heroism, make it a point to see “Torn From the Flag” if you have the chance!
If you’re interested in the DVD or receiving more information about the film, please email: TornFromTheFlag@hotmail.com
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28 Comments
I'd like to see an easily accessible list of the Western intellectuals who supported or condoned the Soviet intervention.
Wow. Endre you have made a compelling case for seeing this film! I am most anxious to see it, and I hope when you hear that is playing, please post it on this site. I hve to see it! Thanks.
Wikipedia. Just search on "intellectual."
thank you for posting this review. I am anxious to see this film.
Now this is the kind of film that I want to see. I was born and raised in San Francisco and currently live in the SF Bay area. People expect you to be liberal and cannot fathom why anyone raised and living here would be conservative or moderate to any degree.
The reason is my upbringing which is directly related to your post. My father fought as during WWII against the communists, Germans and Italians in the Former Yugoslavia. The Royalists aligned with the government in exile lost their battle against Tito who was a communist. My father emigrated to America to start a new life. Many friends and relatives of my father were killed by the communists.
To this day, I work with people who think that Cuba is really a workers paradise! I have recently had a co-worker state that communism was a response to something wrong with the previous Yugoslav government. Both statements were from educated middle class people. It astounds me that people's idea of communisim is firmly detached from the reality of how it is implemented. As far as most people are concerned, communisim works, it simply has not been implemented correctly.
"As far as most people are concerned, communisim works, it simply has not been implemented correctly. "
This opinion seems to be held most strongly by those who have not lived (if you can call it that) under communism. Can't wait to see the film.
Mr Breitbart,
Another confirmation of the need to setup the beacon above the hwood sign is in the first sentence of the third paragraph. With those credits , we can trick em into the theater.
From what I've read about the 60s radicals who were so romantic about Communism, some of the attraction is also that rebel without a cause idea. They didn't have a clue what the revolutionaries were really up to. They just liked the idea of associating with them and being a revolutionary, too. Check out the Annals of Communism history series from Yale University Press on some of the details on Soviet Communism for help in arguing with these people.
Good Review – Your said "It tells the story of the brutal Soviet tyranny over Hungary from the end of World War II through the Revolution…"
Another documentary that chronicles the brutal Soviet Tyranny – this time over the Ukranians – is "The Soviet Story" by Latvian director Edvins Snore http://www.sovietstory.com The tragedy chronicles the murder of over 25,000,000 Ukranians by Stalin.
To compound the tragedy, many of the main players of this cleansing are still in positions of power and/or influence today.
Also see http://www.throughtheredgate.com a Canadian documentary that covers letters written from inside Stalin's Ukraine by Mennonites. These letters were smuggled out, sent to Canadian family members and only recently were found. They too expose the horrors of communism under Stalin.
"Ronald Reagan was roundly mocked when he called the Soviet Union the “Evil Empire” yet no one seeing the sadistic Soviet cruelty, as related in this film, could ever honestly argue otherwise"
Great read Endre, looking forward to seeing this film.
I don't know what the maximum word count is here, but if it's not too long, I think you folks would get a kick out of a blog I replied to that was written by just such an ultra-leftist radical terrorist/communist sympathazing/apologist idiot on another website (which subsequently expelled me for daring mock their ultra liberal mindset. First I'll quote a few excerpts from the original poster's blog (which was seriously titled "Happy half-century birthday my beloved revolutionary Cuba!") , and then my reply:
"The revolution has won. Heroes such as Che Guevara and Fidel Castro have given to the world the living proof that imperialism can be defeated and that there is hope for people that try to build a more just society. The Revolution has survived, with terrible sacrifices, the fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall.
Socialist Cuba has…been capable of creating among the people a collectivist and solidaristic consciousness.
This is exactly what we need to create NOW if we wish to save the world A global collective and solidaristic consciousness based on frugality and long term perspective.
Happy birthday revolution!"
And my reply:
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you sincerely for providing me with some much-needed laughter at this comically unintelligible and patently ludicrous, oh-so-fashionable radical-chic ultra left-wing blather (for) both the statements, as well as the Soviet-Era…language…used in this blog are nothing short of a comical masterpiece- and would actually be worthy of plagiarism for Sasha Baron Cohen's newest "Borat" movie!…by dusting off such Stalinist-Era lumpenprole phraseology as: "U.S. Imperialism" (hey, shouldn't that be suffixed by "and their Running Dogs"?). The statement: "The revolution has survived, with terrible sacrifices (like) the fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall" alone is worth the price of admission to this Carnival of Mirth! I can't help wondering why the delicious phrase: "Capitalist Running Dogs" was not employed- but maybe that one is being saved for one of your future "Plunder Blogs!"?
And then, as if that wasn't enough, we are treated to the good news that: "The revolution has won. Heroes such as Che Guevara…and Fidel Castro have given to the world the living proof that imperialism can be defeated…". Well, if Che Guevara was savvy enough to have demanded a cut of the proceeds from the sales of his portrait-adorned T-shirts so proudly sported by legions of fashionably-trendy and oh-so-uber-hip "enslaved by loans" college students- then I daresay you're right about that. For the royalties would probably be more than sufficient to purchase a veritable boatload of Kalashnikov's (the equally-trendy weapon of choice for jaunty-beret-wearing Revolutionaries the world over)!
And, speaking of boats- could it be that the vast armada of leaky, dilapidated boats and rafts manned by hordes of emaciated, scraggly Cubans desperately risking their lives trying to flee their Revolutionary Paradise for the shores of that Imperialist Hell-hole called "Amerikkka" is merely a clever ruse?! Is it possible that this is but a nefariously sly and glorious Revolutionary equivalent of the Trojan Horse (or, perhaps more accurately, a "Cuban Tuna")? And that this army of Castro's finest commandos-in-disguise are planning to invade Miami, and will then proceed to force-feed each and every Running Dog Yankee Inperialist Pig with rice & beans till they all keel over while watching their Capitalist-Propaganda-riddled TV…?! How clever- how…brilliant..of the Bearded One! And any Americans that manage to survive that assault, will no doubt be dragged off to "Re-education" camps by Castro's Communist cadre's of "Thought-Crime" police- where they will first be forced, at gunpoint, to salsa non-stop while lustily singing the "Internationale" till they collapse, and will then be infused with a most glorious "global collective and solidaristic consciousness based on frugality".
That's on my "must have" list when it comes out on DVD.
Omigod! You mean I'm not the only conservative in the SF Bay Area? When I go shopping here in SF, I disguise myself as Che Guevara so that nobody will take notice of me. In agreement with you, I would add that the best definition I ever heard of communism is "socialism in a hurry."
Szevasz Endi,
I too am from a similar background and saw the film here in LA. Pretty good film. As one might expect, local Hungarians whose sympathies lie with the communists/ex-communists/MSZP largely boycotted the film.
Regarding distribution, we have to face facts. Unfortunately, this film will never get a distribution deal as neither will Katyn, another anti-Communist film. (The Lives of Others being the exception to the rule.) I wanted to discuss this with Klaudia face-to-face at the screening but do not know her and didn't want to come across as a total seggfej.
Well, you ask why not?
As Brietbart noted in his piece here – http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/14/s...
>>>>>>There are tons of movies on Nazi Germany. But why the dearth of stories on the rise and fall of the Iron Curtain? Are there no stories of tragedy and triumph in the 100 million or so dead, or those who came out alive?<<<<<<<<
Actually, that doesn't really answer the question of WHY — it is merely an observation.
So what does Steve Sailer have to say when answering A.O Scott – http://isteve.blogspot.com/2008/11/katy.html
>>>>>>[A.O Scott] The near-simultaneous appearance of all these movies is to some degree a coincidence, but it throws into relief the curious fact that early 21st-century culture, in Europe and America, on screen and in books, is intensely, perhaps morbidly preoccupied with the great political trauma of the mid-20th century. The number of Holocaust-related memoirs, novels, documentaries and feature films in the past decade or so seems to defy quantification, and their proliferation raises some uncomfortable questions. Why are there so many?
[Steve Sailer Tough question … Let me think about it… No, I'm drawing a blank. I'm as baffled as A.O. Scott is. I don't have a clue either why Hollywood keeps making movies about the Jewish Holocaust as opposed to, say, the Ukrainian Holocaust or the Gulag Archipelago. It's completely baffling.<<<<<<<<<<<
For those who still don't get it:
1) The Left which largely controls Hollywood has always been and continues to be sympathetic to Communists and is unlikely to ever greenlight a film showing its horrors.
2) There is a certain ethnic group that is generally Lefty and influential in Hollywood, and played a disproportionate role amongst the Communist leadership in Eastern Europe.
No, this is not anti-Semitic. This is fact..
Udv,
Kormos
"perhaps when if finally finds wide distribution it will be considered for the Academy’s “Best Documentary” award."
The last time I even watched the Oscars (several years ago) they had a big whinefest about the blacklisting of suspected communists in Hollywood. I doubt they would actually reward an anti-communist documentary.
Personally I don't consider the academy of motion pictures to be a good judge of quality, they nominated some real crap this year.
I have just requested that my public library buy a copy. I'm looking forward to seeing it.
The monastery where I sometimes go to Mass was founded by Cistercians who escaped from Hungary. Only a few of the original monks are still alive, and they're in their late '70's and '80's. They have a Mass in Hungarian once a month, and there is a memorial to the victims of the Soviets on the grounds.
Lefty supporters of Communism never imagine themselves in the lumpen proletariat., working on a dam that never gets finished. They'll all have cushy jobs in the Ministry of Something. Communism is to punish the selfish middle class, not them.
Thanks for the heads up. My father's cousin escaped from Hungary during the uprising. It took another 5 years for him to bring his wife and daughter out. My father traveled to DC to plead his cousin's case. So I too grew up hearing the truth about Communism. And let us not forget that all in all Communism is stupefyingly (sp) boring. It sucks the vitality out of people and turns them either into dangerous zealots or brainless drones. So you have either robots on PCP or robots on valium. The only difference it takes on PCP robot to kill someone and hundreds of the other.
I was a Military Brat during the cold war – My bedroom window was abou 150 yeards away from armed Russian Soldiers in a tower, watching a wall. Even as a reckless youth – it was always funny to see them facing away from the West when on duty – you always thought, "Why are they not watching us?"
And visiting certain places like Dachau as a kid and touching the ovens that are still there or walking through the gas chamber (even though it was never used like Auchwitz etc) leaves a mark on a person…..
We are the most blessed people in the world and we need to maintain and watch over it constantly or it will be gone.
God Bless our Troops and Constitution
Plain and simple.
Our grand kids kids may be viewing the same film about today's growing American revolution while listening to Radio Free America..
Dear SFConserv, My parents emigrated to Toronto in 62, my father did a great job raising me as a freedom loving capitalist. My parents used to see American films back in their little Croatian village. Those films inspired a dream, one that included an escape from Yugoslavia followed by a life that would include a big beautiful house and a Cadillac, need I say how that story ended after countless years of hard work, struggle and sacrifice.My father used to tell us stories about the utter insanity of Communism.He was often critical of our education system and its lack of information on the millions that died in the name of Marx and Lenin.He filled in the details, stories like the Soviet shoe factory in the 70's making Left shoes one year and the Right shoe the next, no word of a lie.Years ago he observed the Lefts stranglehold on the education system and knew it was on the march. The Obama election in his eyes,was the result of all the Utopia loving profs, community organizing and social programs in your country. Oddly enough my sister was educated at LSE in London and she became a true Lefty Lib, my father quite disappointed after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on his daughters education only to see her become a eco warrior lefty, or aptly put -limousine liberal. I to will make an effort to view this film, with dad of course. Sean Penn, just a Useful Idiot.
My father-in-law fled Yugoslavia after WWII just like my father did (see post above). In his case, the commies would not let his wife leave Yugoslavia for 15 years. It was only when the US State Department intervened, did the Yugoslav government relent and let her emigrate to join her husband in the US. Had he stayed, he would have been killed.
Communism at it's best.
there are a bevy of good foreign films coming out. i wish the same can be said of american films.
i can't wait to see "Torn From the Flag" and "Katyn". now if i could just finda theater that had them.
Any screenings in Pittsburgh?
We live in a world today where we go after wwII criminals and they make head lines all over the media, but Gyula Horn who served as high ranking secret police officer and directly responsible for killing 100 of unarmed demonstrators could become prime misters of Hungary with the great support of the US. Horn is only name of the hundreds of killers and offspring of killers who are enjoying the wide support of the media/US and they will do anything in their power to silence movies like "torn from the flag" Hungary needs justice on many different levels. First animals like Horn should be sent to prison and that’s step #1.
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