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Curtiz is a 2018 Hungarian film by Tamás Yvan Topolánszky, based on the making of the 1942 Humphrey Bogart film Casablanca by Hungarian director Michael Curtiz.

That year, America had just entered World War II. Michael Curtiz filmed his iconic multi-Oscar-winning film Casablanca under most unusual circumstances. During the shoot, he had to battle almost daily with political censors who wanted to change the film's script. In addition, Curtiz's troubled relationship with his daughter made this period more difficult for him.

The 2018 film's producers were Tamás Yvan Topolánszky, Claudia Sümeghy, and Barnabas Hutlassa. The Executive Producer was Orian Williams, and the screenwriter was Zsuzsanna Bak.

Plot

The film tells the story of the first Hungarian Academy Award winner, Michael Curtiz (originally known as Mihály Kertész), who won the Best Director Oscar for Casablanca, a romantic film that film critics consider to be one of the best in film history. Curtiz, who is credited with nearly 200 films, was a highly controversial, aggressive, womanizing, selfish, violent and crude personality.

The film about him (the original full Hungarian title is Curtiz – A magyar, aki felforgatta Hollywoodot) was originally made as a TV movie. Its story takes place in 1942, during the filming of Casablanca, when the Japanese had destroyed Pearl Harbor, the Germans had already started bombing the British, and the United States had just entered World War II. Curtiz, meanwhile, could not decide how to finish Casablanca, rewriting the script over and over again as the shooting neared.  To make matters worse, to promote war propaganda as much as possible, the state authorities appoint a political official to supervise the film in progress, who tries to pressure Curtiz into making changes to the storyline. In defiance of these political interventions, Curtiz is determined to make his film a success, but he also faces serious family tensions during the shoot. The endangerment of his sister, who has stayed in Hungary, and his troubled relationship with his daughter, who has emerged after a long period of absence, take unexpected turns during the filming of the movie.

The story of the film is based on real events, with dramatized elements.  The filmmakers have created the film with the help of a wealth of anecdotes and memoirs. Screenwriter Zsuzsanna Bak said that the story of the film covers 85 percent of the original events.

Cast

• Ferenc Lengyel --- Michael Curtiz
• Evelin Dobos ---   Kitty
• Declan Hannigan --- Mr. Johnson
• Scott Alexander Young --- Hal B. Wallis
• Joseph Gyabronka --- S.Z. Sakall
• Nikolett Barabas --- Bess
• Yan Feldman --- Julius Epstein
• Rafael Feldman --- Philip Epstein
• Christopher Krieg --- Conrad Veidt
• Andrew Hefler --- Jack L. Warner
• Ian O'Donnell --- Claude Rains / Captain Louis Renault (voice)
• Lili Bordán --- Irene Lee
• Caroline Boulton --- Louise Fazenda
• Eszter Nagy-Kálózy --- Margit (voice)
• Jeremy Wheeler --- Government Official No. 1

Awards

• It won the Grand Prix des Amériques at the Montreal World Film Festival in 2018. The lead role is played by Ferenc Lengyel, opposite Evelin Dobos.
• At the Riviera International Film Festival, Topolánszky was awarded the prize for Best Film Director.
• At the Boston International Film Festival, Zoltán Dévényi won the Best Cinematography award.

Release

Canada

1 September 2018 (Montreal World Film Festival)

2 February 2019 (Pendance Film Festival, Toronto)

USA

5 April 2019 (Phoenix Film Festival)

15 March 2020 (Boston International Film Festival)

Italy

8 May 2019 (Riviera International Film Festival, Sestri Levante)

Hungary

12 September 2019

Poland

11 November 2019 (Camerimage International Film Festival, Torun)

Netflix

Added to Netflix worldwide on March 25, 2020 for two years with it removed on March 25, 2022.

China

9 May 2022. (CCTV6)

References

1. "Another successful Hungarian film round the corner?". Expat Press Hungary Magazine (in Hungarian). 16 August 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
2. ^ Brady, Tara. "Michael Curtiz: The 'pompous b*****d' who shaped Casablanca". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
3. Topolanszky, Tamas Yvan (12 September 2019), Curtiz (Biography, Drama, History), Ferenc Lengyel, Evelin Dobos, Declan Hannigan, Scott Alexander Young, JUNO11 Pictures, Halluci-Nation, Sparks, retrieved 19 May 2021
4. CURTIZ – A magyar, aki felforgatta Hollywoodot (in Hungarian), retrieved 19 May 2021
5. Curtiz (2018), retrieved 19 May 2021
6. "Another successful Hungarian film round the corner?". Expat Press Hungary Magazine (in Hungarian). 16 August 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
7. Dóra, Matalin (16 September 2019). "Brutális rohadék, de kedves fickó volt a Casablanca rendezője". index.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 19 May 2021.
8. Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film (Screen Classics) --- 2017 https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Curtiz-Life-Screen-Classics/dp/0813173914
9. Dávid, Klág (7 November 2017). "A világ egyik legjobb filmjét egy igazi zsarnok rendezte". index.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 19 May 2021.
10. Tunc, Tanfer Emin (2 February 2007). "Casablanca: The Romance of Propaganda". Bright Lights Film Journal. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
11. "Curtiz – A magyar, aki felforgatta Hollywoodot / Curtiz (2018)". www.mafab.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 19 May 2021.
12. "Egy nehéz ember Casablancában / Topolánszky Tamás Yvan: Curtiz – A magyar, aki felforgatta Hollywoodot / PRAE.HU – a művészeti portál". PRAE.HU – a művészeti portál (in Hungarian). Retrieved 27 May 2021.
13. "Curtiz magyar tévéfilm kritika | Casablanca". Filmtekercs.hu (in Hungarian). 29 April 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
14. "Ferenc Lengyel". IMDb. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
15. "Declan Hannigan". IMDb. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
16. "József Gyabronka". IMDb. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
17. "Nikolett Barabas". IMDb. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
18. "e-TALENTA". www.e-talenta.eu. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
19. The Montreal World Film Festival took place this year between 23 August and 3 September. Congratulations are in order, as Index reports that Tamás Yvan Topolánszky’s biopic Curtiz won Best Film, while the Best Director was announced to be Attila Szász for Eternal Winter. "Casablanca is easily one of the best-known films ever made, directed by a Hungarian man, Mihály Kertész, also known as Michael Curtiz. He was the first Hungarian to receive an Oscar as Best Director, and about whom Tamás Yvan Topolánszky’s latest film, Curtiz, is. Curtiz is portrayed by Ferenc Lengyel, the female lead by Evelin Dobos."
20. Dávid, Kovács (4 September 2018). "Két magyar film is nyert a montreali filmfesztiválon". index.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 19 May 2021.
21. "Hungarian Films Awarded Best Film, Best Director at Montreal Film Fest". Hungary Today. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
22. "2019 Winners". Riviera International Film Festival. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
23. ^ "About". ZOLTÁN DÉVÉNYI. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
24. "Hungarian film "Curtiz", wins the Best Film Award at Montreal". Cinema Without Borders. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
25. "Review: Curtiz". Cineuropa – the best of european cinema. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
26. ^ "Curtiz | Netflix Official Site". www.netflix.com. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
27. "Curtiz". Pendance Film Festival. 2 January 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
28. "2019 Phoenix Film Festival Program". Issuu. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
29. "Curtiz". Riviera International Film Festival. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
30. "Curtiz – A magyar, aki felforgatta Hollywoodot (2018)". Mozipremierek.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 27 May 2021.
31. Curtiz (2018) – IMDb, retrieved 19 May 2021
32. "Hollywoodi képeslap – kritika a Curtiz – A magyar, aki felforgatta Hollywoodot című filmről". www.kortarsonline.hu. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
33. Moore, Kasey (27 February 2022). "Netflix Original Movie 'Curtiz' Leaving in March 2022". What's on Netflix. Retrieved 27 February 2022.

External links

• Curtiz at IMDb

• 2018 films
• Hungarian biographical films
• 2010s biographical films
• Films about film directors and producers
• Films about films
• Cultural depictions of film directors
• Cultural depictions of Humphrey Bogart