Ítél a Balaton: A dusty, lakeside drama with a strange pulse

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for grainy, black-and-white dramas that feel like they were pulled from a damp attic, maybe. If you need something with a plot that moves faster than a slow-moving cloud, skip it. It’s for people who like to stare at old buildings and listen to people talk in rooms that smell like mothballs.

This isn't for the casual Friday night crowd. You’ll probably hate it if you get bored by long, lingering shots of people just standing near a lake, looking troubled. But if you’re into the way old Hungarian cinema captures a mood, it’s… well, it’s something else.

The Balaton Vibe

The lake itself is basically a character, though it looks like it would be freezing cold to jump into. There’s a specific scene where someone just stares at the water for what felt like an eternity. I checked my watch. Twice.

It reminded me a bit of the pacing issues in The Martyrdom of Philip Strong, where you’re just waiting for the next shoe to drop, but the shoe is stuck in the mud. The acting is very much of its time—lots of dramatic gestures that feel a bit heavy-handed today.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Ítél a Balaton (1933) through its definitive frames.

• The lighting in the interior scenes is surprisingly moody.
• Gyula Csortos manages to hold the screen even when the dialogue is absolute fluff.
• The sound quality is… let’s call it 'vintage'.

I couldn't help but notice the way the camera lingers on hands. A lot of hands. Picking up glasses, touching railings, fumbling with coats. It’s a weird obsession, but it gives the whole thing a tactile feel that you don't get in modern, glossy stuff.

It’s not as punchy as Hair Trigger Stuff, obviously. But it’s not trying to be. It’s just… a movie about people sitting around, being upset about things that probably wouldn't matter to anyone today. And somehow, that’s kind of why I liked it. It’s a time capsule that doesn't care if you like what's inside.

Sometimes the movie gets noticeably better when it stops trying to be a serious drama and just lets the scenery do the work. The outdoor shots? They have this oddly empty feeling, like the world just stopped for a second. 🌊

Whatever. It’s a bit of a slog, but it’s an honest one.