[Film] Kincsem - Bet on Revenge (Kincsem)

17 May 2017

“Kincsem - Bet on Revenge (Kincsem)”---European Union Film Festival

Release Year: 2017

Country: Hungary

Director: Gabor Herendi

Cast: Ervin Nagy, Andrea Petrik, Tibor Gaspar

Location I watched: National Gallery Singapore

Story from the programme booklet:

Hungarian aristocrat and supreme horse trainer Sandor Blaskovich was accused of treason and killed by his former friend, Austrian officer Otto von Oettingen. His son, the dashing Erno Blaskovich (Ervin Nagy) has lost everything in the aftermath of the 1848-1849 Hungarian revolution, including their family castle which von Oettingen takes over forcing him to move into a labourer’s cottage. Erno’s bohemian lifestyle gets a chance of redemption in the form of Kincsem, the miraculous horse who wins every single race across Europe. Fate offers a shot at revenge, giving Erno the chance to beat his nemesis and father’s murderer, fellow horse owner von Oettingen. However, their rivalry takes an unexpected turn, when Blaskovich falls in love with Klara, von Oettingen’s daughter. Can love triumph revenge?

A man who has lost everything, seeking revenge, falling love with his enemy’s daughter... The first impression from the programme booklet story is that this is a serious film. However, “Kincsem – Bet on Revenge” is actually an enjoyable entertainment film. It is a luxurious, spectacular and light period drama without dignity which is sometimes required for period dramas.

The theme of falling in love with his enemy’s daughter might sound old-fashioned, but the film does not make it so. Erno and Klara, von Oettingen’s daughter, know each other at the beginning of the film. Erno was a hopeless horse owner who bets on other’s horses instead of his own horse. However, he met Kincsem which could not be easily tamed. When Kincsem escaped from Klara’s riding ground, Ermo accidentally chased after this horse. Then he turned to be serious for Kincsem. Eventually Ermo got Kincsem’s ownership from Klara and started to train her. In the meantime, Klara got to know Erno’s talent for horse training and paid respect to him. As the film title shows, Kincsem, the female horse is the center of the story. I like that the film does not go off the track with Kincsem’s story. The last shot in the film is of he (Erno), she (Klara) and of course, the horse, Kincsem.

Although Kincsem is a real racehorse in the 1870s, “Kincsem – Bet on Revenge” is a fictional story, I think. However, since this film is for Kincsem, the most important fact, Kincsem’s unbeaten record cannot be changed. Kincsem is so famous that a lot of audience may know her legendary record even before watching this film, 54 wins out of 54 races. In that case, how was this well-known fact developed into a story to attract the audience?

Firstly, the owner’s character is initially set as a loser. To change his life, he must win with Kincsem. That is why her debut race scene is so exciting. When Kincsem won for the first time, Erno looked as if he almost started to cry and faint before he congratulated himself on this victory. This scene was convincing and funny. Secondly, a special situation is created where the owner does not want Kincsem to win. Erno’s love for Klara, his enemy’s daughter prepares for this situation, too. This unbeaten horse must lose in this film? It makes the audience uncertain and engages them in the race, even if we know Kincsem’s real history.

By the way, when the film ended, a lady sitting next to me asked, “What time will “Insyriated” start?” “Insyriated” is another European Union Film Festival (EUFF) title, a Belgium film about a Syrian family who is desperately trying to be together in their apartment while a war rages outside. Although I have not watched this film, obviously it seems to be a serious film, a perfect opposite of “Kincsem”. I answered her that “Insyriated” is scheduled from 9 pm after “Kincsem”. Then, she said, “Alamak! I watched a wrong film!” Actually she bought a ticket for “Insyriated”, but she came at the wrong time. (For some reasons, the ticket taker did not check the film title of her ticket.) Even after the film started, she did not realize for a while that she came at the wrong time. Since some EUFF screenings show a short film before the main program, she thought that “Insyriated” would start after this “short” film. Of course, “Kincsem” is not a short film, so she noticed her mistake on the half way. But eventually she watched through “Kincsem” till the end. She said, “It’s OK, it was an enjoyable film, right?” (October 7, 2018)