Kontroll
Kontroll is a 2003 Hungarian comedy–thriller film. Shown internationally, mainly in art house theatres, the film is set on a fictionalized version of the Budapest Metro system. "Kontroll" in Hungarian refers to the ticket inspectors checking to ensure a rider has paid their fare. The story revolves around the ticket inspectors, riders, and a possible killer.
The film was written and directed by Nimród Antal and stars Sándor Csányi, Zoltán Mucsi, and Csaba Pindroch. The film was entered in a number of film festivals in Europe and North America. It won the Gold Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival and was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It was also Hungary's submission for Best Foreign Language Film for the 2004 Academy Awards.
Plot
Bulcsú is a ticket inspector on the underground; he spends his nights sleeping on the train platforms, and never leaves the underground. His ragtag team of inspectors – consisting of the veteran Professzor, the disheveled Lecsó, neurotic narcoleptic Muki and dimwitted greenhorn Tibi – is routinely disrespected and assaulted by the commuters, who evade paying fines in a variety of ways.One of Bulcsú's company rivals, model employee Gonzó challenges him to a "rail run": after the last metro leaves a station, the two get on the tracks and try to make it to the next station on foot before the midnight maintenance carriage runs them over. Bulcsú wins the contest, barely saving Gonzó who wets himself as a result of the run. During a routine inspection, he is enamored by a girl dressed in a bear suit called Zsófi, the daughter of one of the veteran metro drivers, Béla. On another occasion, Bulcsú unsuccessfully attempts to calm his colleague Laci after Laci gets into an altercation with a passenger and takes him hostage; Laci says he cannot take it anymore and slits the passenger's throat.
After chasing a repeat offending prankster called Bootsie, Bulcsú witnesses him being pushed on the tracks by a hooded figure, dressed in exactly the same attire as him; another incident in a long line of what people thought were suicides. Because of his recurring nightmare of this figure, Bulcsú fails to apprehend the murderer, and when he is questioned, he refuses to disclose details of the incident to the lead executive of the company. When the executive threatens to disclose the video footage of the incident, which only shows Bulcsú, he resigns his job. Muki later insinuates that Bulcsú is the murderer, citing his continual nightly absence and accusing him of having the same mental issues as Laci did; an infuriated Bulcsú almost pushes him on the tracks as well.
During an underground costume party, Bulcsú spots and follows the hooded figure and they get into an altercation, after which they start rail running similarly to the contest with Gonzó earlier. Bulcsú manages to outrun the hooded figure and escape the train. The hooded figure never emerges from the tracks. Bulcsú then meets Zsófi, who is now dressed as an angel, and the two finally emerge back to the surface.
Cast
- Sándor Csányi as Bulcsú
- Zoltán Mucsi as Professor
- Csaba Pindroch as Muki
- Sándor Badár as Lecsó
- as Tibi
- Bence Mátyássy as Bootsie
- Győző Szabó as Shadow
- Eszter Balla as Zsófi
- Lajos Kovács as Béla
- Enikő Eszenyi as drunk woman on the escalator