Bank Ban

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="04000500dvldtc.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Reel Movie Critic.com</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reel Movie Critic.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id1692.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="new movie"><U>new movie</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1679.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Long Days Journey Into Night"><U>Long Day's Journey Into Night</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1701.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Titanica"><U>Titanica</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1745.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Recruit"><U>The Recruit</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Movies Before 2000"><U>Movies Before 2000</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1799.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Georges Top Films of 2002"><U>George's Top Films of 2002</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1977.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Video Rental Guide 2003 "><U>Video Rental Guide 2003 </U></A>   |   <B>Bank Ban </B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="041d2c00dvldtc.png"> <div> <B>Home Page for</B></div> <div> <B>      </B><A HREF="http://newbookdiscounts.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://newbookdiscounts.com/"><U><B>Books</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>           </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id364.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Travel</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>                </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/"><U><B>Movies</B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>                   </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id361.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Great Web Sites</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>Similar Genres</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/id1660.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/id1660.ht"><U><B>Opera</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/id1636.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/id1636.ht"><U><B>Drama</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/minigenre/id1873.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/minigenre"><U><B>Based on a novel</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/id1632.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/id1632.ht"><U><B>Based on a play</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/id959.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/id959.htm"><U><B>Hungary</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> Bank Ban </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="592" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="588"><div> Bánk Bán <B>   </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Wingdings 2" ><B>êêêê</B></FONT><B> Stars   Not Rated</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><div> Reviewed by Shelley Cameron</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="588" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="588"><div> Hitting the High Notes</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Andrea Rost . . . . . . . . .. Melinda </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Eva Marton . . . . . . . . . . .Queen Gertrúd</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Attila Kiss B . . . . . . . . . .Bánk Bán</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Dénes Gulyás  . . . . . . . . .Otto</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="587" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Directed by Csaba Káel</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Music/Opera.  Hungary. 118 Minutes</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Not for opera lovers only, this magnificently cinematic adaptation of Hungarian composer Ferenc Erkel's 19<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> century tragic opera <I>Bánk Bán </I>is the perfect marriage of opera and film, bar none, and superlative filmmaking in any category.  Little known in the United States, this opera is considered a national treasure in Hungary, attaining the adored status of <I>TheWizard of Oz</I> in America.  While <I>Oz</I> has some wonderful popular songs, the musical achievement of <I>Bánk Bán </I>is in another category altogether.  The reason for the not altogether appropriate comparison is to emphasize that this wonderful film is one that will delight a very wide audience, if only they get the opportunity to see it.  It works wonderfully well on all the levels attempted.  It is riveting drama, truly thrilling musically, and a knockout visual experience.</div> <bR> <div> This new film version was a labor of love for the mostly Hungarian cast and crew and the effort shines through in every frame and perfectly synched syllable.  The first film for director Csaba Káel, he assembled the dazzling Andrea Rost and a host of other brilliant operatic voices and set to work to blending into perfect harmony the dramatic narrative with a flawless Dolby digital sound track.  Not least among its charms are the exquisite locations in the beautiful Hungarian countryside.  This is a rare opportunity to see the country outside of Budapest.  Through the lens of master cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (<I>McCabe and Mrs Miller, The Deerhunter, Close Encounters of the Third Kind</I>), it shines. Although it will be available soon on DVD, make every effort to see it at select venues in its widescreen glory.  Now showing at the Gene Siskel Film Center of the Art Institute of Chicago through May 8, 2003.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="592" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="588"><div> Shelley Cameron <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Symbol" >Ó</FONT> 2003</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><div> <A HREF="mailto:info@reelmoviecritic.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:info@reelmoviecritic.com"><U><U>Shelley@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>