LIGHT PHYSICAL INJURIES

Hungary, 1983, 91 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Gyorgy Sjomjas

Light Physical Injuries is a Hungarian slice of life. It portrays harsh life in the city, human relationships, marriage, divorce, responsibility. The style is realistic and blunt. Of interest as a glimpse of Eastern Bloc life - with its similarities to life in the West.

1. The impact of this contemporary Hungarian film? Social drama?

2. Hungarian industry production values: black and white photography, editing and pace, music?

3. The focus on ordinary people? Audiences identifying with the characters and their situations? Credibly presented? Universal themes: relationships, marriage, divorce?

4. The basic situation of the protagonists: life in the town, the scenes at the bars, ordinary day-to-day violence, the consequences, effect on relationships, housing problems and shortages, subsequent tensions?

5. Csabo - in himself, tough, violent, his experience in prison? The past relationship with Eva and his love for her? The visits and his tenderness? Getting out of prison? Eva divorcing him? His going to live in the same house with Eva and Miklos? His living with that tension? The girl at the cafe, sexual relationship? His creating noise in the house? His devices to spite Eva and Miklos? Their reactions? Anger? Work, hose and the garage? The growing anger, the relationship with the nice girl, fiancee? The police and the harassment at Eva and Miklos' request? The final episode in prison? What future?

6. Eva and her beauty, her way of life in the town, her attractiveness, tenderness? Her visits to Csabo? Leaving him? Settling, no baby, Miklos living in? Inviting Csabo? Reactions? Reporting to the police? Her realisation that she could not stay with him? Her vindictiveness? Her future?

7. Miklos and the relationship, spite, tensions?

8. The girl from the cafe, the contrast with the pleasant girl and the outings?

9. The mother, her comments, pressures?

10. The sketch of the various neighbours? Authentic atmosphere?

11. The analyst and the contribution? The psychological interpretation of social problems?

12. The film seen as the case study -visual, verbal, with commentary?