The world of the Middle Ages is presented to us in a way never seen before in a Hungarian film - this is what the makers of 1222 Aranybulla promise, in which Zsolt Trill is played by the elder II. András. The National Film Institute places more and more emphasis on supporting works like this, which present important episodes and large-scale personalities of our history. Now we asked Zsolt Trill about the film!
In an interview with Index, director-producer László Kriskó heralded the Aranybulla series and the upcoming feature film as the biggest domestic film surprise of the year.
On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the publication of Aranybulla, he shot a four-part documentary with more than one billion forints - six hundred million of which was state aid - in which feature film scenes and historical analyzes alternate. channel also broadcasts it at the same time.
The feature film is expected next spring,
and based on the recently released trailer, it promises to be very spectacular. According to the producers' promise, the world of the Middle Ages will be presented to us in a way never seen before on a Hungarian film, with authentic costumes, sets, and props.
The elder II. András is played by Zsolt Trill, the young king by Tamás Veréb, Gertrúd by Franciska Törőcsik, Archbishop János by Zoltán Rátóti, the leader of the Teutonic Knights by Iván Fenyő, and the old crusader by Zsolt László.
The III. The aim of the creators of the story, which spans roughly half a century from Béla's death (1196) to the Battle of Muhi (1241), in both the documentary and movie versions, is to paint as objective a picture of this period as possible.
I would like to shade II. András's personality as well,
of whom there is a schematic image that he squandered his fortune as a "ballet tourer"; historians also debate whether the Golden Bull was his genius, or whether the Hungarian lords forced its creation. According to the latest research - more than ten experts helped to create the series - the formula is indeed quite complicated, but it seems to have crystallized that
"II. András wanted to do something very differently - sometimes better, sometimes worse, but still brilliant in many ways. It is quite certain that II. András was not such a one-dimensional personality as we know him superficially, for example from Bánk bán, based on a selected slice of his life. Pali could have been much more exciting than this, and he was probably not an easy person," Zsolt Trill tells our newspaper.
According to the actor, it is not only for this reason that it is worth getting to know him better and introducing him to posterity.
But because, in addition to establishing the Hungarian rule of law with the Golden Bull, he thought and acted in the name of Christ throughout his life.
"He had an infinitely strong faith, without which leading a country is unthinkable. This was the case in the past, and it is still the case today: without faith, there is no upward path, no development, we just flounder in one place," Zsolt Trill admits.
According to the actor, King András knew this, which is why he left for the Holy Land and then came back to build a different kind of country in the spirit of enlightenment. "One that is closer to God. It's great that we can now put his person at the center of a historical adventure film. Which, based on the facts, tells a wonderful tale from the Hungarian past in such a way that it can be experienced even in the 21st century and, thanks to the large-scale action scenes, is also attractive to young people."
This is not Zsolt Trill's first film work, in which he takes on the role of a charismatic figure who performed a historic deed for the Hungarian nation, but is now somewhat forgotten - or not appreciated in the right place.
The filming of the Hadik movie, in which he plays András Hadik, was also recently completed. Directed by János Szikora, The Impossible Mission tells the story of the Berlin adventure of the "most hussar" in a horsemanship, swordsmanship, and costume design similar to the Golden Bull.
All of this is in line with the new direction of the National Film Institute, characterized by the name of Csaba Káel, the government commissioner responsible for the development of the motion picture industry, according to which more emphasis should be placed on the production of films and series that deal with individual episodes of Hungarian history.
According to the current situation, the János Hunyadi series, which will debut on TV2, is promised for the fall of 2023.
Source: mandiner.hu
Featured image: YouTube