The Pendragon Legend (György Révész, 1974)

Still from The Pendragon Legend. Two men, one in a grey plaid suit and the other in a grey pinstripe suit. The man in plaid hold a newspaper, leaning over the other, who sits at a desk.

Saturday 26.10.24 @ OFFLINE | 11.00
1hr 38m | DCP | 50th Anniversary

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Hungarian scientist and man of letters and leisure János Bátky (Zoltán Latinovits) languidly researches the secrets of the Rosicrucians in dusty London libraries. The highly-cultured man also enjoys sparkling society life, spending his evenings in the company of various ladies. At one elegant soiree, he meets the charismatic Earl of Pendragon, who invites him to his ancient castle in Wales, where mystery and intrigue await.

The second of György Révész’s Antal Szerb adaptations featuring the author’s analogue János Bátky (the other, The Loves of a Dilettante, screens immediately prior), The Pendragon Legend is a wildy enjoyable and unjustifiably obscure curio. Révész is perhaps best known as a purveyor of popular Hungarian cinema, and unfortunately doesn’t enjoy the international status of arthouse darling Béla Tarr or émigré of classical Hollywood Michael Curtiz (aka Mihály Kertész). Upping the ante on Szerb’s affectionate weaponising of English-language genre literature, Révész preserves the outsider perspective of protagonist János Bátky, though recruits exclusively Hungarian locations (notably the Károlyi Palace) to double for first London, then Wales – and a host of game Hungarian actors to portray the strange coterie of UK characters.

C/w Outdated Cultural Depictions

NB the entire Weird Weekend programme is presented with descriptive subtitles and optional audio description.

Thanks to National Film Institute Hungary (NFI) & Screen Scotland

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