SUNSHINE --------
An alcoholic elixer known as "A Taste of Sunshine" brings wealth and social standing to the Jewish family Sonnenschein (German for sunshine) under the helm of Emmanuelle (David De Keyser, "Yentl"). Ralph Fiennes plays his son Ignatz as well as two subsequent generations as the family is buffetted through almost a century of turbulent Hungarian history.
LAURA:
Director Istvan Szabo ("Mephisto") cowrote this epic with famed playwright Israel Horovitz ("Growing Up Jewish") which takes its family through the end of a monarchy, the subsequent decline into fascism (and the Holocaust) and the reactionary institution of communism. Ignatz makes his father proud by studying law and becoming a judge loyal to the crown, while his brother Gustave (James Frain, "Where the Heart Is") becomes a doctor of more liberal politics. Then there's Valerie (Jennifer Ehle, daughter of Rosemary Harris who takes on the role as the character ages), the orphaned daughter of Emmanuel's brother whom Emmanuel adopts and raises as his own. The sexual spark between Valerie and Ignatz causes grief to their parents while making Gustave jealous, but it will not be denied and the two marry. However, Valerie's political leanings are aligned with Gustave's and eventually she leaves one brother for the other. Ignatz also changes his family name to the more Hungarian (and less Jewish) Sors (which means destiny) at the suggestion of the chief justice and Valerie and Gustave follow suit, much to their parents' sadness.
Valerie and Ignatz's son Adam (Fiennes again) lives a life of priviledge and becomes a national hero as a fencing champion, even winning Olympic Gold. He too has women problems as his sister-in-law Greta (Rachel Weisz, "The Mummy") bullies him into an affair ('We're a lucky family - everyone loves everybody else,' Adam comments wryly.). When the Nazi regime rises and rules governing Jewishness are heard on the radio, the Sonnenscheins/Sors family qualify for special standing due to war medals and that Olympic gold, but the family still ends up in the death camps, which only Adam's son Ivan (Fiennes) and his grandmother Valerie (Harris by this point) survive.
Ivan becomes a pawn of the communist movement, although he has a good man, Andor Knorr, as a mentor. Like his father and grandfather before him, Ivan has a messy love life, becoming embroiled in an affair with the wife (Deborah Kara Unger, "The Game") of a high ranking official. When the communist party begins to turn in upon itslef and Knorr is targetted, Ivan is forced to condemn his old friend.
The story is always interesting, yet is harmed by its willingness to stoop to soap opera level. Even more serious of a flaw is that each generation played by Fiennes is essentially a weak, comprised man overpowered by the women who love him. The three hour film seems too short in that scenes are abbreviated while we barrel into the next one in order to cram all the events in. The film plays like a six hour miniseries that's been editted for theatrical release.
There are some standout performances, chiefly Jennifer Ehle ("Wilde," "Bedrooms and Hallways") who resembles a young Meryl Streep in both looks and talent. Her strong character is never compromised as she searches for truth and beauty in life. Rosemary Harris picks up the reins admirably, but the film suffers when Ehle leaves the screen. (A far less smooth transition is achieved when John Neville ("The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen") takes over for Frain, whom he resembles not in the slightest).
Also exceptional is David De Keyser as Emmanuel, the good father whose children perplex and try him while also filling him with pride. Miriam Margolyes ("The Age of Innocence") gives another great turn as his embittered wife Rose who loves her own sons over her niece and resents a similar cousin who once tempted her own husband. Fiennes himself is solid, creating three distinct characters whose bloodlines demand they still resemble each other, but his performance is passionless. William Hurt stands out as the decent Knorr, remaining honorable as he's besmirched by his own party. Rachel Weisz is appropriately hiss-worthy as Adam's selfish lover while Molly Parker ("Kissed") is bland as his wife. Kara Unger is good as a woman whose sexual appetites override her sense.
The film looks stunning, with cinematography by Lajos Koltai ("Mother") utilizing a marvelous color scheme. The first hour of the film is bathed in golds and ambers, reflecting the "Taste of Sunshine" upon which the family is based, as well as nostalgia for a lost age. The subsequent two hours begin with the blinding whites of the fencing sport, which evolves into the reds of Communism and sickly greens of institutionism - the three colors of the oft-seen Hungarian flag. Koltai also makes great use of his Budapest locations and leaves the audience with some memorable images, such as Valerie sitting in a courtyard filled with yellow flowers or Adam, left hanging from a tree in a Nazi death camp encased in ice.
B
ROBIN:
Ralph Fiennes stars as father, son and grandson in the multi-generation drama by veteran Hungarian filmmaker Istvan Szabo ("Mephisto," "Colonel Redl") in the epic family film, "Sunshine." The story is told by grandson Ivan Sonnenschein (which translates to the "Sunshine" of the title) and begins the tale of how Great-great-grandfather Emmanuelle built his fortune using a secret family recipe for a marvelous elixir called "A Taste of Sunshine." However, his sons Ignatz (Fiennes) and Gustav (James Frain) refuse to follow in his footsteps and seek more intellectual pursuits - Ignatz becomes a judge, while Gustav pursued a career in medicine.
The family fable focuses on the ambitious Ignatz Sonnenschein as he abandons his Jewish heritage in favor of advancing himself in the Hungarian Empire's judicial system. His father is aghast when Ignatz changes his name to the more Christian sounding Sors and announces his amorous intentions for his cousin (almost a sister) Valerie. Ignatz's loyalty is to his emperor, not to his family, and he forsakes his Jewish past for personal advancement. His conservatism backfires, though, as the Europe is thrust into the throes of The Great War and beyond. When Communism rears its ugly head, Ignatz falls from grace with the ruling regime and becomes a mere pawn in his country's political upheaval.
As Ignatz fades from the picture, his son, Adam (Fiennes), develops into an outstanding athlete. He continues his father's denial of their Jewish faith, converting to Catholicism in order to compete on the restricted national fencing team. When he wins the gold medal at the 1936 Munich Olympics, his future in the again conservative regime seems assured. Then, with the rise of the Nazis to power in Europe, anti-Semitism rages and the Jewish Laws are issued. Adam steadfastly maintains that his exemptions - converted Catholic and national hero - protect him and his family from the fate awaiting Europe's Jews. In shock, Adam and his son, Ivan, are shipped to a concentration camp where Adam's demands that he is exempt and should be released end, literally, in his chilling death.
Ivan (Fiennes) survives the camp and, as a young man, becomes a police investigator and embraces the Communist Cause as the savior for the survivors of the Holocaust and Hitler's deadly fascism. But, changing masters does not create the freedom that Ivan expected as the communist leaders, under the thumb of Josef Stalin, reprise the same brutal repression as Hitler's henchmen. Ivan, through the influences of his old grandma (Valerie, played in later years by Rosemary Harris) and aging uncle Gustav (John Neville), embraces his Hebrew past and rejects, even subverts, the communist oppression of the Hungarian people. The final straw for the young man is when he is ordered to interrogate and expose his friend and mentor, Andor Korr (William Hurt), bringing the family tale full circle.
"Sunshine" is an ambitious film that spans decades, with the concentration on Fiennes's several lives. The political and personal lives of each Sonnenschein lad are influenced by the whims of history as one regime replace another, each with a promise of a better life for its citizens. The promise is never kept, though, and the people are mere duckpins in the political game as conservative regime replaces liberal, then communist replaces fascist, ad infinitum. The political scope of the film is impressive in it span of time and detail. The upheavals that occur through Hungary's history are depicted with accuracy, starting with the decaying opulence of the Austria-Hungarian Empire of Franz Josef.
When World War One is thrust upon the countries of Europe, the political fabric is torn asunder and traditional ways are destroyed forever. Chaos takes control as followers of the left and right vie with each other to take control. Communism takes command of Russia, while the rise of the Nazis grips Germany and, eventually, the rest of the continent. Hungary sways first in one direction, then the other, as the left and right struggle to take over the government. This strife is shown in parallel as each of the Sonnenschein boys makes his mark on their individual generations, trying to garner favor from the powers that be.
While Ralph Fiennes is the nominal star of the film, it is really an ensemble effort with some outstanding performances. Fiennes puts a unique spin on each of his characters and does an impressive job of making each one different. It's a big creative challenge that the actor handles well enough, but there is a flatness that permeates all three perfs. More impressive is the pair of performances by the actresses who portray Valerie as, first, a young lady, and later, an old woman. Jennifer Ehle is cast as Valerie the younger who becomes the lover and wife of Ignatz. Ehle outshines Fiennes (and everyone else) in every scene she is in, coming across as smart, independent, confident and capable. Rosemary Harris, Ehle's real-life mother, plays Valerie in her twilight years and carries forth the strengths developed by the younger Val. These two ladies are the best things in "Sunshine."
The rest of the large cast provides the requisite depth to their respective roles, but are all so briefly presented that there isn't much time to develop each character. Of the others, William Hurt stands out as the honest and trusting Andor. He believes that his country is finally ready to care for its people, only to have his ideals smashed by the brutal oligarchy of the communists. His downfall also reps a significant turning point for Ivan.
There is depth in the screenplay by Szabo and Hungarian playwright Israel Horowitz and they have no trouble in filling the film's 180 minute run time with its three interlocking tales. But, 3 hours is a big investment of time for a moviegoer and Fiennes does not give a compelling enough performance to warrant the time for most. It's not the type of film I can "recommend" but I don't regret seeing it, either. It's an enigma.
Tech credits are first rate with Lajos Koltai providing the lush photography that helps carry the sought after period feel. Costume, by Pedro Moreno, and set design, by Attila Kovacs, recreate, nicely, the flow of Hungarian history over the last century. The score, by Maurice Jarre, suits the mood of the film.
I give "Sunshine" a B.
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