Puskas (2009)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puskas is a Hungarian documentary film which premiered in 2009.

 

It is a biopic of Ferenc Puskas (1927-2006), one of the greatest football players of the 20th century.

 

Here is some basic information about it:

 

** Director: Tamas Almasi

** English narration: Jozsef Gyabronka

** Languages spoken: Hungarian, Spanish, Greek, German, and English

** Run time: 116 minutes

 

In Hungary, Puskas is a national hero. This film covers his life and career from the beginning in 1927 to the end in 2006.

 

Here is a brief summary:

 

Ferenc Puskas was born in Budapest, capital of Hungary, in 1927. He came from a poor family, but he made a name for himself because of his incredible talent for football.

 

At first, he played for a local football team (1943-1955). Later, he became a member of Hungary’s national team (1945-1956).

 

In 1956, during the Hungarian uprising against Soviet control, the national Hungarian team happened to be outside the country.

 

When the rebellion was crushed by Soviet tanks, the team was called back. Most members obeyed and returned to Hungary, but Puskas and two other members refused to go back. They stayed in the west.

 

After being suspended by FIFA for two years, Puskas was allowed to play for Real Madrid in Spain. He played for this team for several years (1958-1966). When his career as a football player came to an end, he was almost 40 years old!

 

During the rest of his life, he worked as a football coach for different teams in different countries, including the following:

 

** Panathinaikos in Greece, 1970-1974

** South Melbourne Hellas in Australia, 1989-1992

 

In this film there are photos and clips where we see Puskas and some of the numerous matches in which he played. The old photos and old clips are obviously in black-and-white. More recent clips are in colour.

 

There are interviews with people who knew him and who worked with him. I will not list all names here, because the complete list is too long.

 

In addition, there are clips from old interviews with Puskas himself and members of his family.

 

What do reviewers say about this film? 

 

On IMDb it has a rating of 86 per cent which corresponds to 4.3 stars on Amazon.

 

On Amazon there are at the moment six ratings of this product, five with reviews.

 

The average rating is five stars, which corresponds to a rating of 100 percent.

 

If you are interested in football, this film is a must-see. But even if you are not really interested in football, I still think you will enjoy this film. Why?

 

Because it is not only about football. It is about the history of Hungary, the history of east and west during the Cold War and the people who lived through it.

 

This film is about much more than football. It is about a man who had an incredible life and career.

 

I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).

 

PS # 1. Unfortunately, some of the old clips are of poor quality. For this we cannot blame the director. He has to work with what is available.

 

PS # 2. This film was shown during the European Union Open-Air Film Festival held in Bangkok in November and December 2019. This was Hungary’s contribution to the festival.

 

The film was introduced by the Hungarian ambassador to Thailand who spoke with deep affection about Puskas and his role as a national hero in Hungary.

 

REFERENCE

 

Ferenc Puskas:

Captain of Hungary

An Autobiography

By Ferenc Puskas

(First published in 1955)

(Reprinted in 2007)

 

On Amazon there are at the moment 33 ratings of this product, nine with reviews.

 

The average rating is 4.6 stars, which corresponds to a rating of 92 percent.

 

Here are the details:

 

5 stars = 69 percent

4 stars = 22 percent

3 stars = 9 percent

2 stars = 0 percent

1 star = 0 percent

 

*****

Ferenc Puskas: Captain of Hungary

An Autobiography

by Ferenc Puskas

(First published 1955)

(Reprinted 2007)

*****