Abandoned (2001)

Abandoned is the English title of a Hungarian historical drama set in Hungary in 1960. It is the story of a young boy (Aron Soproni) who is sent to a home for boys who are orphans or who have been abandoned by their parents. Here is some basic information about this drama which premiered in 2001:

** Original Hungarian title: Torzok 
** Writer and director: Arpad Sopsits
** Cinematography: Peter Szatmari
** Run time: 100 minutes

The cast can be divided into two groups:

# 1. THE ADULTS

** Pal Macsai as Mr Csapo – the director
** Laszlo Galffi as Mr Nyitrai – a teacher
** Dora Letay as Ms Marika – the housekeeper
** Lajos Kovacs as Mr Jozsi – the janitor

# 2. THE BOYS

** Tamas Meszaros as Aron Soproni
** Szabolcs Csizmadia as Attila
** Attila Zsilak as Mate
** Peter Muller as Seprodi

** Imre Thuri as Csontos
** Krisztian Toth as Hajos
** Zoltan Nadhazi as Varadi

As stated above, this is a historical drama, i.e. a fictional story that is placed in a historical context. In this case, the context is Eastern Europe during the Cold War (1945-1990); more precisely a rural district of Hungary in 1960, four years after the 1956 uprising which was crushed by Soviet tanks.

I do not wish to spoil the viewing for anyone. Therefore I am not going to say much about what happens in this drama. The English title of the drama says it all: this is a sad story; it is not a happy story.

It is the story of a brutal system in which the boys are not being treated as human beings. Only one teacher – Mr Nyitrai – tries to stand up against the sadistic director, but it is not easy for one man to stand up against a powerful system.

What do reviewers say about this historical drama? On IMDb it has a rating of 74 per cent, which corresponds to (almost) four stars on Amazon. If you ask me, this average rating is too low. Why?

The script is well-written and the actors play their roles well. The story is captivating, dramatic, and often quite emotional. While fictional, the story is probably very realistic. Unfortunately.

Since this is a sad story, I cannot say you will enjoy it. But I do think you can appreciate it, because this story deserves to be told, even if it is not always pleasant to watch. I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars.

PS. The following movies deal with the same topic in different countries and different decades:

** The Magdalene Sisters (2002) – set in Ireland in the 1960s

** Song for a Raggy Boy (2003) – set in Ireland in 1939

** The King of Devil’s Island (2010) – set in Norway in 1915

** Und alle haben geschwiegen (2012) – set in West Germany in the 1950s. This movie is based on the book Schläge im Namen des Herrn by the German reporter Peter Wensierski (2006, 2007)

** The Day Will Come (2016) – set in Denmark in the 1960s

*****

The Magdalene Sisters (2002)

The Magdalene Sisters - a British-Irish co-production – is a historical drama about a dark chapter of Irish history. Here is some basic information about this drama which premiered in 2002:

** Produced by Frances Higson

** Written and directed by Peter Mullan

** Released on DVD in 2003

** Run time: 119 minutes

The cast includes the following:

** Geraldine McEwan (1932-2015) as Sister Bridget – Mother Superior

** Frances Healy as Sister Jude

** Eithne McGuinness as Sister Clementine

** Phyllis MacMahon as Sister Augusta

** Anne-Marie Duff as Margaret

** Nora-Jane Noone as Bernadette

** Dorothy Duffy as Rose – aka Patricia

** Eileen Walsh as Crispina

** Rebecca Walsh as Josephine

** Britta Smith as Katy

** Mary Murray as Una O’Connor

** Peter Mullan as Mr O’Connor – Una’s father

[The character played by Dorothy Duffy has two names. Here is the reason for this: her name is Rose. But when she arrives at the convent, she is told: “We already have a Rose here.” So she must choose another name. In the convent she is called Patricia.]

As stated above, The Magdalene Sisters is a historical movie about a dark chapter of Irish history: the laundry shops for the “fallen women” of Ireland, which existed from the 19th century to the end of the 20th century. They were run by Catholic nuns. Therefore they are known as Magdalene Asylums or Magdalene Convents.

If a young girl became pregnant before she was married, she was in big trouble. According to the Catholic Church and the Irish State, she had shamed herself and her family. And such a person had to be removed from society, at least for a while.

What happened to the babies that were born out of wedlock? Some of them died young, because they were given poor conditions. Those who survived were given up for adoption, often to couples in other countries, such as the US. The only condition stipulated by the Church was that the baby had to go to a Catholic couple.

What happened to the fathers of the babies that were born out of wedlock? Nothing. Nothing at all. The Catholic Church and the Irish State always blamed the young girl, while the young man could continue his life as if nothing had happened.

The last asylum was closed in 1996. In 2013, the Irish government issued a formal and official apology to the victims of this policy: the mothers, who lost their children, and the children, who grew up without knowing the identity of their biological parents.

The Magdalene policy was a gross violation of human rights. For decades, the issue was taboo in Ireland. While many people knew about it, there was no public debate about it. By the end of the 20th century the taboo was finally broken, but even today some of the birth-mothers who lost their children are afraid to speak out in public.

The Magdalene Sisters is a historical drama, i.e. a fictional story that is placed in a historical context. In this movie, the story begins in Dublin County in 1964. The asylum is located in the countryside. It is hidden behind high walls. The girls who are sent there are prisoners. They cannot leave. If they try to escape, they are punished. If they manage to escape, they are often found and brought back.

The reason is obvious: it was difficult for an escaped girl to find anyone who would help her. In most cases, her family and friends would deny her, because she was considered a “fallen woman.”

This movie focuses on three victims of the Magdalene policy:

** Margaret

** Bernadette

** Rose – aka Patricia

I do not wish to spoil the viewing for anyone. Therefore I am not going to tell you what happens to them and the people around them. If you wish to know what happens, you will have to watch the movie all the way to the end.

What do reviewers say about it? Here are the results of three review aggregators:

** 78 per cent – IMDb

** 83 per cent – Metacritic

** 90 per cent – Rotten Tomatoes

I understand the positive reviews and I agree with them. The topic is important. The story about this dark chapter of Irish history deserves to be told. I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars.

PS 1. Sex in a Cold Climate: The Magdalene Asylums - a documentary film shown on British television (Channel 4) in 1998 - is available online. Director: Steve Humphries. Narrator: Dervla Kirvan. Run time: 50 minutes. 

 

The Magdalene Sisters from 2002 is inspired by this documentary film from 1998. When Peter Mullan saw this film, he decided that he had to make a movie about this topic. He gave himself a minor role in the movie: he plays Una’s father.

PS # 2. A Secret Buried: The Mother and Baby Scandal - a documentary film shown on Irish television (TV3) in 2014 - is available online. Narrator: Colette Fitzpatrick. Run time: 45 minutes.

PS # 3. For more information, see the following books:

** The Light in the Window by June Goulding (1999, 2005)

** Banished Babies: The Secret History of Ireland’s Baby Export Business by Mike Milotte (2012)

** The Baby Laundry for Unmarried Mothers by Angela Patrick with Lynne Barrett-Lee (2012, 2013)

** Whispering Hope: The True Story of the Magdalene Women by Nancy Costello (and others) (2016)

PS # 4. Ireland's Dirty Laundry is a documentary film which premiered in 2020. In 2023, it was shown on French and German television (arte).

*****

Song for a Raggy Boy (2003)

Song for a Raggy Boy – a co-production of companies in Ireland, Denmark, Spain and the UK - is a historical drama (based on a true story) set in Ireland in 1939. It is the story of a young teacher (William Franklin) who is hired to teach at St Jude’s Reformatory School – a home for “difficult” boys, run by the Catholic Church. Here is some basic information about this drama which premiered in 2003:

** Director: Aisling Walsh

** Writers: Aisling Walsh & Kevin Byron Murphy

** Based on a book and a screenplay by Patrick Galvin

** Released on DVD in 2007

** Run time: 100 minutes

The cast can be divided into two groups:

# 1. THE ADULTS

** Aidan Quinn as William Franklin – teacher

** Iain Glen as Brother John – prefect (in charge of discipline)

** Marc Warren as Brother Mac - teacher

** Dudley Sutton as Brother Tom – teacher

** Stuart Grahan as Brother Whelan - teacher

** Alan Devlin as Father Damian – headmaster

** Simone Bendix as Rosa – William’s girlfriend in Spain

# 2. THE BOYS

** John Travers as Liam Mercer # 636

** Chris Newman as Patrick Delaney # 743

** Andrew Simpson as Gerard Peters # 458

** Bernard Manning as Rodgers # 855

** Robert Sheehan as O’Reilly # 58

** Caoimhin “Tojo” Bara Doherty as Murphy # 388

** Samuel Bright as Ryan # 126

** Mark Butler as Downey # 913

** Michael McGee as Lynch # 76

** John Collins as O’Connor # 252

** Michael Scott as Flynn # 144

** Robert White as Galvin # 544

** Michael Sloan as Sean Peters # 568

Patrick Galvin (1927-2011) was an Irish poet and singer and the author of several books; some of them are auto-biographical. His book about life in St Jude’s Reformatory School was published in 1991. Later he turned his book into a screenplay, hoping that his book could be turned into a historical movie. This finally happened in 2003.

At the school, each boy is given a number. When Brother John, who is in charge of discipline, talks to a boy, he will (almost) always use the number and not the name. The purpose is to rob the boy of his identity. He is only a number. Not a person with a name.

Brother John and his colleagues do not treat the boys as human beings. According to Brother John, the boys respect only one thing: strength and physical force. When he punishes a boy, which happens quite often, he will claim it is God’s will that this boy is being punished.

William Franklin, the new teacher, is the only teacher at the school who is not a monk. He has a special background: he fought in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). He was a member of the International Brigades who fought on the side of the Republicans against the Nationalists who were led by General Franco.

While in Spain, William met a Spanish woman Rosa, who became his girlfriend. When the Republicans lost the civil war, Rosa was captured and executed as a prisoner of war. William was also captured, but since he was a foreigner, he was not killed; he was merely expelled from Spain.

William and Rosa are seen in brief flashbacks to the Spanish Civil War. It is a wonderful and painful memory for William.

At the school, William is the only teacher who treats the boys as human beings. At first, the boys are surprised. They have never met a teacher like him. After a while, they begin to respect him; not because they are afraid of him, but because he respects them and because they like him.

As you can guess, a confrontation is building up between William and Brother John, who is a ruthless and brutal character. Brother John tells Father Damian to fire William. This does not happen. Father Damian is the headmaster and he supports William, but he cannot stop Brother John’s brutality, because the prefect has the support of Church leaders who are above Father Damian in the Catholic hierarchy. The conflict is escalating.

This is how the story begins and this is where my presentation ends. If you want to know what happens to William Franklin, Brother John and the boys at St Jude’s Reformatory School, you will have to watch the drama (or read the book) all the way to the end.

What do reviewers say about it? On IMDb it has a rating of 76 per cent, which corresponds to (almost) four stars on Amazon. If you ask me, this average rating is too low. Why?

The script is well-written and the actors play their roles well, not only the adults but also the boys. The story is captivating, dramatic and often highly emotional. In addition, it is based on a true story.

Since this movie is about brutality against children, I cannot say you will enjoy it. But I think you can appreciate it, because this story deserves to be told, even if some scenes are very unpleasant to watch.

I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars.

PS. The following historical movies deal with the same topic in different countries and different decades:

** Abandoned (2001) – set in Hungary in 1960

** The Magdalene Sisters (2002) – set in Ireland in the 1960s

** The King of Devil’s Island (2010) – set in Norway in 1915

** Und alle haben geschwiegen (2012) – set in West Germany in the 1950s. This movie is based on the book Schläge im Namen des Herrn by the German reporter Peter Wensierski (2006, 2007)

** The Day Will Come (2016) – set in Denmark in the 1960s

*****