HungarianRhapsody(MagyarRapszodia)isthefirstchapterofdirectorMiklosJancso'stwo-partdramatizedhistoryofHungary,fromtheturnofthecentury,toWorldWarII.ThestoryistoldfromthevantagepointofGyorgyCserhalmi,thesonofawealthylandowner.DuringWorldWarI,Cserhalmiisinstrumentalinquellinganarmymutiny.Uponrealizingthathehasbeenresponsibleforthedeathsofseveralpeasantconscripts,Cserhalmivowstobea"manofthepeople"whenhostilitiescease.Hejoinsacommunistcell,butfindsheiswoefullyoutofplace.Throughoutthe1920sand1930s,Cserhalmi'spoliticalviewpointisgovernedalmostexclusivelybyhisvacillatingemotions.Thefilmisenhancedwitha"RussianRoulette"leitmotif,notunlikethefatalisticthroughlineofMichaelCimino'sTheDeerHunter.DirectorJancsofollowedHungarianRhapsodywithAllegroBarbaro;bothfilmswereoriginallyreleasedintandem,thenredistributedasseparatefeatures.~HalErickson,AllMovieGuide