Queen – Hungarian Rhapsody: Live in Budapest 1986
Hungarian concert film in colour, 1986, by János Zsombolyai, Language: English, Subtitles: Hungarian, 90'
SCREENINGS
09.07. 19:30
Szent István square
Gala screening; Guests: Gábor Szabó, Tamás Andor, János Kende, Sándor Kardos, Emil Novák, Buda Gulyás, Mari Miklós, Teri Losonci
Directed by János Zsombolyai
Director of photography: Elemér Ragályi
Music by Queen
Cast: Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon, Roger Taylor
Production: MAFILM Dialóg Filmstúdió, Queen Films Ltd.
1986 is a very important year in the history of music tours in Hungary: it saw Queen, one of the world’s most popular bands, play in Hungary. The concert and the most memorable moments of the tour were recorded by numerous cameramen, and János Zsombolyai made a film of the event. The fact that such an iconic band had made its appearance behind the Iron Curtain implied that there were cracks showing up in the regime, which denounced Western culture as nothing but opium – to recall The Witness, the great film by Péter Bacsó for which Zsombolyai was the photographer. This film radiates freedom, first and foremost thanks to Freddie Mercury, who alas would die soon after the making of this film. From among the interesting moments of the film, the most memorable are the band’s arrival by hydrofoil and the unforgettable minutes when Mercury sings the Hungarian folksong Tavaszi szél vizet áraszt (“Winds of Spring do Raise the Waters”).