Film: Kontroll
Release date: 18th April 2005
Certificate: 15
Running time: 106 mins
Director: Nimród Antal
Starring: Sándor Csányi, Csaba Pindroch, Zoltán Mucsi, Eszter Balla, Zsolt Nagy
Genre: Thriller/Crime/Drama
Studio: Drakes Avenue
Format: DVD
Country: Hungary
A darkly comic thriller filmed in the Budapest underground railway, Nimród Antal’s debut feature kicks off his career with style and character.
The Budapest underground is watched over by a power hungry, overworked group of misfits for whom abuse and contempt are an everyday occurrence. Battling through day by day, Bulcsú (Sándor Csányi) has been spending his nights asleep on the platform afraid to go back to the surface. Pale and dirty, rivalries between the different troops of ticket collectors get more bitter and violent. His outlook changes, however, when he meets Sofie, a train-driver's daughter dressed as a teddy bear.
Meanwhile his troop of ticket inspectors are dealing with the recurring struggles of the job - violent passengers, psychological assessments and a torturous nemesis known as “Bootsie”. As the number of people killing themselves by jumping on the tracks seems to be on the rise, the paranoia and suspicions only exacerbate the ever-growing stress. Add to this the dangerous past-time of “railing”, the underground is a far from safe workplace…
An opening statement from a spokesman for the Budapest Public Transport Co. takes time to set out the fictional context of Kontroll, stating it's faith in the audience in understanding the line between the real Budapest underground and the world created on screen - it's understandable and refreshing to see why, with the onscreen universe of the underground being so engrossing and well rounded. It takes guts and conviction to keep the film set solely within such a confined space, and it works. There is a whole system of feuds, hierarchy, raves and power struggles which is deeply engaging, believable and enjoyable.
The film deals with the central idea of fear and escapism very well. The lead character of Bulcsú grows and develops throughout the film in subtle and realistic ways, yet more obvious character thickening twists are thrown in without feeling too tacked on. He has a fear of himself, what he was becoming and essentially what he is now. His position in his job is a form of escape - he quite literally lives underground to avoid what he is on the surface. This is not to say he is a bad man, he's just not what he wants to be.
This film throws out some obvious Nazi references in the structure and design of the hierarchy within the underground workers. The red arm bands worn by the ticket collectors and the new uniform given to a rival group are obvious visual references, as well as the incredibly Gestapo-esque unit that work for head office - the leader of which has a birth mark on his face that wouldn't look out of place in a Batman comic. These references are not to be read too far into though - more of a subtle comic dig at the situation of workplaces throughout the world than a deep social political commentary.
Kontroll rarely sets into a solid underlining plot, and works with a flowing episodic structure, which creates this underground society. The chronology is spelt out by the condition of Bulcsú’s face. Throughout the film he takes such a physical and mental battering that by the end he is littered with bruises, cuts and blood. This style leaves it free to move through sub-plots and characters easily, from the darkness of killings, overstressed workers, violence and rivalry, and then skip across to the comic elements.
Muki (Csaba Pindroch) and Tibi (Zsolt Nagy), two ticket inspectors on Bulcsú’s team are genuinely laugh out loud funny. Muki is an angry narcoleptic, not helped by the fact that it is his anger which triggers his narcolepsy, an attribute that people seem more than willing to take advantage of. Tibi's naïve outlook and blank expression is a great contrast - a scene in which they all undergo psycho analysis is hilarious (as his work mate tells him before he goes in “Can't make waves if you don't have any water”).
The obvious star of the show has to be the underground itself. The scenery and lighting sets a dark tone for the film, cladding the onscreen world with dirty off-white marble tiles, forever humming and glowing florescent lighting, industrial concrete dirt and neutral colours. This works as a brilliant canvas for the story, as well as the darker fantasy/dream elements, which grow towards an underground rave. It does also live-out some long thought out fantasies, being able to run down the tracks from platform to platform, spending nights wandering around in unused carriages and sliding down escalators.
Kontroll is a brilliant debut film with guts and character - it’s a shame Nimród Antal has gone on to direct mediocre Hollywood blockbusters after such a promising start. Full to the brim with atmosphere and personality, with characters that keep you glued to the screen. A real treat for any film fan. JP
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