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Damnation

1988 · Movie · 116 min

7.5(146)unSUB Rating

DramaCrime

A man moves through a life of quiet desperation in a drab, rainy setting, finding temporary salvation in a haunting singer at the Titanik Bar. Though she is married, he tries to keep her away from her husband as their attachment deepens in a cycle that may never change.

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Details
Original title
Kárhozat
Years
1988
Release date
1988-10-20
Language
HU
Runtime
116 min
TMDB rating (input)
7.6/10 (146 votes)
About

You’ll likely enjoy Damnation if you want bleak, rain-heavy melancholy with sparse dialogue and a haunting bar atmosphere; Not for you if you need lots of plot movement, since it may feel like a slow, repetitive experience reminiscent of Satantango or Werckmeister Harmonies.

Pros: drab rain-soaked atmosphere; haunting bar singer; minimalist, spare plot | Cons: very slow pace; repetitive story movement; might feel dull

Themes

  • dancing
  • rain
  • fog
  • surreal
  • surrealism
  • umbrella
  • magic realism
  • existentialism
  • mono

Awards & recognition

  • Young European Film of the Year · 1988 · nominated

Cast & crew

  • Székely B. Miklós

    Székely B. Miklós

    as Karrer

  • György Cserhalmi

    György Cserhalmi

    as Sebestyén

  • VK

    Vali Kerekes

    as The Singer

  • Gyula Pauer

    Gyula Pauer

    as Willarsky

  • Hédi Temessy

    Hédi Temessy

    as Cloakroom Attendant

  • GB

    Gábor Balogh

  • JB

    János Balogh

  • PB

    Péter Breznyik Berg

  • IC

    Imre Chmelik

  • JG

    János Gémes

Directed by Béla Tarr