Life on the Hortobagy

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1

For a thousand years the Magyars

have lived on their plains,

guarded by distant mountains.

Through the centuries

they have remained horsemen,

following their ancient callings

hunting, fishing,

and breeding livestock.

This way of life,

shaped by Nature and tradition,

created a rich folk culture.

But in the past century,

agriculture has subdued

their ancient pursuits.

Hunting lands and pastures

have become ploughed fields.

Today, of the endless plains

there are few patches

to remain unaffected, and even

the remotest swathes of land

are crumbling before

the iron of the Tractor.

A thousand-year-old fairytale:

this is Hungary.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

no sooner had we got

acquainted with the tractor,

and the gas drill,

than a new machine,

the film shooting machine,

arrived at the Great Plain.

It was the gentlemen

coming along who brought it.

They spent two summers with us,

from spring to fall.

We played roles forthem, but,

nevertheless, we are no actors,

but herdsmen and peasants.

And we do present ourselves

as what we are.

We have grown fond

of your machine, of the motion

pictures, because it shows

our ranch, our plain, our life

the way they are.

See you soon in the film,

in our beautiful plain,

which is called Hortobgy!

Adapted and directed by

George Michael Hoellering

After the short story The Gloomy

Horse by Zsigmond Moricz

Music:
Lszl Lajtha

Camera:
Lszl Schiffer

Sound:
Ferenc Lohr

With the

Budapest Concert Orchestra

conducted by Viktor Vaszy

The folk songs were collected by

Lszl Lajtha.

Produced in Hunnia Film Factory

Tobis Klangfilm system

Copy by Kovcs and Faludi

Production Hllering-Film

Jnos Czinege plays Jnos Czinege,

a head csikos

Mrs. Jnosn Czinege plays

Jnos Czinege's wife

lstvn Knysi plays Jancsi,

Czinege's son

Margit Szincsk plays Juliska,

Czinege's daughter

Mihly Nagy plays Mihly,

Czinege's csikos

Jnos Srkny plays lmre,

Czinege's ranchman

lstvn Veress plays Pista,

the rich peasant boy

lmre Kovcs plays lmre Kovcs,

an old head csikos

Mrs. lmrn Kovcs plays

widow Srknyn

Lajos Kelemen plays the mechanic

Get back, this is the boundary.

Your machine has taken away

enough from us already.

The rain has blurred the sign.

I could not see it.

Get away and open your eyes,

or else you'll get a whipping.

- Good morning, Mr. Mechanic!

- Hi, Jancsi!

- Will you find gas today'?

- I hope so.

- How much more iron pieces'?

- Three will do.

Jancsi, your father is just

mounting the horse at the ranch.

I must go with him to

the village and to the market.

Hurry up, or he kills me

if he finds you here.

Iam going. Give me

some tools for my bicycle,

because it needs mending.

Here you are.

- Thank you.

- Farewell!

Should Jancsi follow you'?

To the devil with him,

a csikos must be punctual.

- Where is father'?

- He is gone to the village.

- Give me my boots.

- You don't need them.

Your father took Mihly.

- And what about me'? - He said

you should go to the devil.

Iwill rather mend my bicycle.

The herdsmen from the

Hortobgy are here!

Bring the horses

to the breeding place.

Not ready for the market yet'?

Yes, Jnos, we'll come at once.

Make yourself pretty!

Pista is coming from Debrecen.

I don't want him, father.

Where is Jancsi'?

- The kid wasn't there, when

I left. - Have a drink, Jnos.

- Who has come with you, father'?

- Mihly.

Get Mihly out of your head.

Pista is the one for you.

I will not have the conceited fool.

L'll decide that.

/n Ho/Tobg y the violet

is in fu// bloom

The cattle grazes happily

in its blue...

Its herdsman drinks

his wine in the tavern

The poor lift/e bird

finds no rest

It flies from

one branch to the next...

A lone/y guy as I am

/ find no rest either

A lone/y guy as I am

/ find no rest either

/'m a cowboy m yse/lj

from top to toe,

Not like others,

who make it for sham.

There my herd is grazing,

My darling violet.

There the y're grazing,

There the y're grazing,

Six gray foals alone,

with no horseman.

Al/ the six though, all the six though

Wear copper fetters to force them.

Come on darling,

let's snatch those grey foals

Rasp down, file ofi'

those copper fetters.

Hide the bicycle pump,

father must not see it.

Jancsi will be glad.

To the devil with the bicycle!

- I saved up three years for it.

- A csikos doesn't need a bicycle!

Everyone is catching horses

for the market,

while you play with that

rubbishy machine.

Come here, Jancsi.

Embracing, embracing,

Embracing my gray horse...

- Come on, lmre.

- l'm coming.

L'll drive the big herd to market

with Mihly, you drive the others.

That's Jancsi's job, he is the csikos!

I don't want a csikos

with a bicycle.

Anyway, do what I tell you.

Here is my whip, you will

need it at the market.

- And you'?

- I don't need it any more.

- You don't need it any more'?

- No.

- All the best.

- Thank you, good bye.

- Mihly, ride back and

fetch Jancsi. - l'm going.

You can only stay here

if your father allows it.

Will you keep me fortoday'?

Yes, but tomorrow

l'll speak to your father.

Is she going to the market too'?

- Who'?

- Srkny's widow.

How should I know'?

She has never been there.

- Where are you going'?

- To the market.

- To Kovcs, the head csikos'?

- Yes.

- But you have never been there.

- Now l'm going.

Well, I never! She's going --

I want to see him once again

before I die.

That's a wonder, a real wonder!

What does she want

with old Kovcs'?

He used to be her sweetheart

before she married Srkny.

Why didn't she marry Kovcs'?

They made her marry

the rich peasant.

Kovcs was only a csikos

back then.

- And was the marriage a

happy one'? - No.

- You want to force me too.

- Not l, and father means well.

Drive faster, mother, and get over

there to ride with Mrs. Srkny.

L'll go to meet father on the ranch.

Well, to meet father. Well! Well!

All right then!

- Hasn't Jancsi been here'?

- Not today.

Horsemen, herdsmen...

Jancsi, there is your donkey.

He always follows me.

This place will turn

into a menagerie.

Broken the flask...

for drink don 't ask...

Stop the motor and come up here.

Two mares are foaling.

Two fine foals.

He/yh-ho, no mother it was

who raised this lift/e lass/e,

He/yh-ho, hatched she was

by a pigeon in the greenwood.

N0 mothers e/derdown 0f

silk does she need to c0 ver her,

He/yh-ho, her shepherd /0 verS

cloak will keep her cosy.

- You can stay at home.

- Now'? Having got myself ready'?

- The old man wants Jancsi to come.

- He has been gone a long while.

- To the market'?

- I don't know.

- Perhaps he will come now.

- I don't think so.

- Juliska!

- Mihly!

- What are you doing here'?

- I brought something for you

and now I must go to the market.

L'll help you to unload.

It's a long time

since we saw each other.

A very long time.

But there is something else,

Mihly.

- What'?

- Father is at the market.

- And...'?

- He is preparing the betrothal.

- What betrothal'?

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