The Corporal and Others

1965 [HUNGARIAN]

Action / Comedy / War

1
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 86%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 86%
IMDb Rating 8.3/10 10 2975 3K

world war ii hungary

Plot summary

PFC Molnár decides his WWII services are over, and with serious money hidden in his hand grenades, he heads to an abandoned mansion where he encounters not only the sour butler but a bunch of others who also try to wimp out of their duties.

Director

Márton Keleti Photo
Márton Keleti

Top cast

Iván Darvas Photo
Iván Darvas as Gálfy Eduárd zászlós
László Márkus Photo
László Márkus as Obersturmführer
József Fonyó Photo
József Fonyó as Német katona
Tamás Major Photo
Tamás Major as Albert
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
925.54 MB
1280*720
Hungarian 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   hu  
25 fps
1 hr 40 min
Seeds ...
1.68 GB
1920*1080
Hungarian 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   hu  
25 fps
1 hr 40 min
Seeds 4

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Nil_admirari 9 / 10

One of the best of 'old school' hungarian movies

For me it's clearly the best from director Márton "Mágnás Miska, Beszterce ostroma, Különös házasság" Keleti. It's a bittersweet satire about the last days of World War II and the fate of the Hungarians (cought between nazi and soviet forces). A Hungarian Corporal (Imre Sinkovits) opts to desert and tries to get away with his comrades' acquittance. He joins a group of AWOL soldiers, and 'couse of his clear (?) view of the situation suddenly becomes their de facto leader. This is the moment when the movie gets CULT. The only way to outsmart the enemy is to constantly change the uniforms and philosophies and so, side with them. The tagline is: "The soviets are already in the closet". U-turn after u-turn, but still, even in hard times, they struggle to maintain their humanity and humor. They are not soldiers anymore, but act like a band of brothers (even Albert the butler /Tamás Major/) and try to save the life of Grisa /Lajos Cs. Németh/, the wounded soviet soldier. It gives a good picture of the time, the behavior of the hungarians, and the It-can't-get-worse-but-it-will thing (you know, the Hungarian way of life :) ). Maybe one of the reasons to learn hungarian is to appreciate the voices of the great hungarian actors (like Iván Darvas, Imre Sinkovits). Take a cup of Shakespearian portrays, a drop of Ocean's 11, mixed it with European acting put it in WW II, and there you have "A Tizedes meg a többiek". Bon Appétit!
Reviewed by ilovesaturdays 9 / 10

War comedy emphasizing the value of humanity

This is an excellent movie full of humor and madcap adventure. The movie is set around the end of WWII. Hungary is going through much political upheaval and mayhem. Its streets now have soldiers storming into and out of the city, wearing many different colors of uniforms. There is a joke regarding the political implications of the same thing in the movie too. Fortunately, the message of the film is not lost in all the levity since many scenes make quite an impact. Thus, even through the fine layers of the comedy, a viewer still feels empathy for this proud country whose innocent citizens are the biggest victims of the war (and isn't it always so in any country). The scene where teenage boys are being loaded onto the army vehicle to get enlisted is a very poignant one. The boys' terrified & beleaguered mothers who've already sent their husbands to the war protest against the injustice of it all, but their pleas fall on deaf ears.My favorite characters were Ferenc Molnár and Albert. The former has decided that he's seen enough of the war and wants out; possibly with some money to start a little business venture when peacetime comes. During his stint with the army, he's learnt quite a few tricks and isn't afraid to use those to his advantage. He understands that there are no winners in a war, so he's decided that all of his loyalty is only to himself. However, during the course of the movie, he makes many friends, who are also deserters and tired of the war.Albert, the butler, with his stoic expressions is the exact opposite of Molnar. He's so cultured and proper that he seems like a fish out of water among these war-hardened soldiers. He's a reminder of the bygone era with all its class differences. However, being a working class man, he's still not obsolete. Even in a detention camp, he finds himself in great demand. Besides Molnar and Albert, other characters are quite good too. The war-weary soldiers, wearing different colored uniforms, and having different ideologies form a brotherhood of sorts while living in the mansion. This collaboration proves how friendship can heal people and makes one realize that the most important thing is human life; much more important than national identities and hatred for the so-called enemy.Watching this interesting and funny movie, I was reminded of another great war comedy, 'The Great Escape'.
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