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A socialist propaganda film depicting the chronological exploitation of Csepel Island armaments factory workers by imperialists, capitalists, and fascists, culminating in a socialist transition that restores human dignity to labor.
Drama · 9/10 · 107 min · 1959
The "sleepless years" in this propaganda piece by director Felix Marlassy occur on Csepel Island, an island south of Budapest that is home to an armaments factory. The factory workers are shown being exploited by imperialists, capitalists gone berserk, and fascists, more or less in that exact chronological sequence. The heavy-handed approach does much to undercut the belief that when socialism finally takes over, the lives of the workers are brought up to a human level. In this instance, audiences might prefer a more nuanced and subtle statement, no matter what the message.
