Children Of Glory (2008) Movie Review

With a fascinating setting against the momentous 1956 Hungarian revolution, this story keeps our interest even as the filmmakers throw every conceivable movie genre at us.

Karcsi (Fenyö) is the star player of Hungary's water polo team, in trouble for reacting to the cheating Russian opponents. Of course, the Soviets are occupying Hungary while their secret police AVO terrorises the population. Spurred by his angry grandfather (Jordán) and the feisty-sexy student Viki (Dobó), Karcsi joins the resistance. But his buddy Tibi (Csányi) is afraid to leave the safety of the team. And as the Russians crack down horrifically on the protests, they realise that representing their country at the Melbourne Olympics might be a good place to take a stand on the world stage.

OK, so this is a Cold War thriller with a big sports movie climax. It also has sections that are student romance, family drama, full-on war movie, special effects action flick and even a couple of gruelling prison sequences. In other words, the writers worked overtime to compose an elaborate plot to carry us through the historical events. The problem is that the raw facts are actually strong enough without these hackneyed movie structures.

At least all of this corniness makes the film watchable, although possibly in all the wrong ways, as the interpersonal melodrama, sporting action and gratuitous sex distract us from what's actually going on. The actors are all very good, and the production design is beyond impeccable. The crowd scenes are truly astonishing, both for the expansive imagery and the shocking way the events play out. And the film also carries a strong emotional tone as these young people struggle for freedom and democracy.

But the best thing about this film is also the clear reason it was made: to recount the events of the 1956 uprising and the barbaric and vicious way the Russians responded, indiscriminately murdering thousands in their crackdown to retake the streets. Of course, we also know now that their brutal oppression would hold for only 30 years before that spark of freedom finally won the day.