Abandoned also known as Torzok is a powerful movie. It was made in Hungary and is a fine example of the East European cinema. Its director Árpád Sopsits shows the reality of a reformatory school during a communist regime in the country. He uses the yellow color to separate the dream like scenes from the rest - this color technique is later used in the movie Traffic. The movie portrays the harsh reality of the live in Hungary from that time because it is actually based on the writer/director's own childhood.The main character is Áron - a boy send to a reformatory school not because he has some something , but because his mother is sick and the father does not want to take care of his son. Once in the school Áron has to face the initial hostility of the lands there towards the newcomers - including beatings and hard words .He manages to survive through all those harsh moments and is soon accepted and befriended by the boys from the school.The actors in the movies are exceptionally talented despite their young age and the characters they portray come to live - each with its own uniqueness. The overall atmosphere is dark and the movie can be considered as hard to watch by anyone - probably the only one witch harsher atmosphere on a similar topic was in the movie Song for a raggy boy . The few moments of hope which the viewers can observe are directly related to the friendship between Aron and another student Attila as well as the one with his melancholic teacher Gálffi - who seems to be the only teacher from the reformatory school who cares of his students and opposes even the despotic director of the institution.Some of the scenes are really cruel - in one of them one of the teachers makes few boys to beat a friend of theirs themselves because he prayed to God - which was forbidden during the communist years. The cruelty in which the boys in the school are treated is awful and I do not buy the statement of their directors - that this is the only way to prepare them for the reality outside .The soundtrack is very powerful -classic music mostly - a bit of melancholic as well - it really contributes to the overall atmosphere.

We have all (or at least I have) seen tons of stories about kids growing up in an orphanage, without the loving care of parents. You can watch this film as if it were another one of these stories. But it isn't.Though I suspect at least part of the story is autobiographical, Arpad Sopsits manages to turn it into an allegory of dictatorship. Though the boys are completely cut off from the outside world (they do not communicate with anyone from there), the atmosphere pretty much models the general feeling in Hungary after the cruel suppression of the 1956 revolution. Religion is severely punished, humiliation takes place every day, children are made to spy on one another. Nyitrai, the only humane teacher, is known to have been in prison after the revolution, and now finds escape in astronomy and music. The head of the institution is himself scared stiff of the State which might find out if he gets too lenient. When a sadistic teacher is criticized for his methods, he replies: "I'm cruel to them because the world is cruel, too. I'm just preparing them for what to expect outside." The possibility of an idealized, innocent childhood is lost for these children.My parents grew up at the same time as the film takes place. They never encountered such cruelty; nevertheless, I think the film is entirely realistic. Some comments say they can't really identify with this story as it takes place in a very different country. But think it over: does it? I think any dictatorship, big or small, operates the same way. And it is usually invisible to people not directly affected by it.

WARNING - CONTAINS SPOILERSSet in Hungary, this film follows the life of Aron, a young boy left to the mercy of an orphanage. A powerful and commanding performance by the entire cast will truly draw you into their stories. It would be unfair to single out the performance of Tamás Mészáros, as Aron, simply because the rest of the cast is so strong it makes this film a true ensemble piece.This is not an easy film to watch. The immeasurable cruelty suffered by the children, at the hands of their teachers is agonising to watch. You genuinely feel for them, this is so real. The teachers are played with remarkable talent, the cast never flinching from the paths that have been laid out before them. I would imagine that their roles were as difficult to enact as they were to watch, and they are due an immense amount of respect for their portrayal of cold, calculating and manipulative excuses for human beings.Throughout the film, Aron's indomitable spirit will stay with you, as you follow his woeful story, to it's conclusion.The treatment suffered by these children is brutal. The teachers are ba****ds, and I make no apology for using that word. They are not worthy of anything more. This is a harsh, eyeopening lesson that children should always be seen AND heard.There is only one benevolent teacher, whom Aron befriends, as together, they share a love of astronomy. Their friendship is doomed to a bitter end. Tortured by his conscience, the only good man commits suicide, and the impact of this is the eventual escape plan, lead by our young protagonist.At this point, one would be forgiven for thinking this is where everything will turn out just fine and dandy, and all will be right with the world. Forget it. There are no happy endings here, no winners and no justice. I will not go into the fate that awaits these unfortunate children, but I guarantee that the end of this film will bring a tear to even the most hardened of eyes.This film has an astonishing cast, who portray their respective characters with a reality that will haunt you for some time after. Emotionally draining it may be, but at the same time it is essential viewing, and as a piece of foreign cinema, offers another peek through the windows of someone elses world. This film isn't afraid to make a statement, and trust me, make a statement is exactly what it does. There are lessons in the tale which we would all do well to heed.If you buy only one DVD in the coming months, make it this one.

This film is set in an orphanage in Hungary in 1960. Aaron is left there by his father. At first the other boys abuse him, but soon they accept him. Unfortunately, the man who runs the orphanage is sadistic and cruel.While the film feels manipulative at times and seems to have the basic message that life sucks, the one word I would use to describe the film is "haunting." The performances are very good, especially considering the young age of most of the actors. The cinematography and direction are also quite good, especially in the arresting dream sequences near the beginning and end of the film. Most people will probably never have a chance to see this, but I highly recommend it if you do. Seen at Cinequest (the San Jose, CA film festival) on 2/22/2002.