A day in the life of a Hungarian town told by incredible cinematography and acute sound. At the age of 28 in 2002 György Pálfi has put together one of the most unique movie experiences out there. This dark yet funny film at first glance seems to be just a series of random events linked together by smooth camera transitions. But, there is an underlying story here, a caper if you will. "Hukkle" is an onomatopoeia that is supposed to imitate the sound of a hiccup. The opening scene of the film features an old man who cannot stop hiccuping, I believe the director was relating the pace of the film to a hiccup hence the name.
During the opening credits the first name featured was that of the sound engineer Tamás Zányi. A fitting honor since there is no dialog in this film, the story is told entirely through sound. Everything from a growing leaf of grass to a F-16 Fighter jet is represented in precise detail. It truly is amazing to watch and listen to a movie like this. It grabs a hold of you and even though the events are seemingly random, you just can't wait to see what will happen next. It's like watching a Hungarian reality show.
Once you realize that there is a story underneath all of this, it makes it even better. I won't ruin it by explaining the plot, just know by the end you should understand it. If not, there is a nice song at the end with the only subtitles in the film to help explain everything. Although, one would benefit from a second viewing to pick it all out.
Visually, this film is wonderful. Cinematographer Gergely Pohárnok was brilliant. Moving smoothly from one scene to the next going through doors, windows and even bodies. He used CGI or computer generated imaging for some of the scenes which seemed out of place for me. I think it was to showcase more of the sound as in the growing leaf, but I thought it was unnecessary. There were only a few quick cuts thankfully, although, one in particular might make you a little uncomfortable or comfortable if your into that sort of thing.
This film is not for everyone. Some may feel bored with this as the plot is barely there. But, if you view this on its technical merits you will be highly impressed.
During the opening credits the first name featured was that of the sound engineer Tamás Zányi. A fitting honor since there is no dialog in this film, the story is told entirely through sound. Everything from a growing leaf of grass to a F-16 Fighter jet is represented in precise detail. It truly is amazing to watch and listen to a movie like this. It grabs a hold of you and even though the events are seemingly random, you just can't wait to see what will happen next. It's like watching a Hungarian reality show.
Once you realize that there is a story underneath all of this, it makes it even better. I won't ruin it by explaining the plot, just know by the end you should understand it. If not, there is a nice song at the end with the only subtitles in the film to help explain everything. Although, one would benefit from a second viewing to pick it all out.
Visually, this film is wonderful. Cinematographer Gergely Pohárnok was brilliant. Moving smoothly from one scene to the next going through doors, windows and even bodies. He used CGI or computer generated imaging for some of the scenes which seemed out of place for me. I think it was to showcase more of the sound as in the growing leaf, but I thought it was unnecessary. There were only a few quick cuts thankfully, although, one in particular might make you a little uncomfortable or comfortable if your into that sort of thing.
This film is not for everyone. Some may feel bored with this as the plot is barely there. But, if you view this on its technical merits you will be highly impressed.