Sunshine (1999)

Istvan Szabo's Sunshine (1999) proves his most expansive, ambitious film. This inter-generational epic replays Szabo's dilemma from Colonel Redl on a grand scale: personal identity compromised by authoritarian governments. Ralph Fiennes anchors the drama with an inspired triple performance.

Sunshine covers 60 years of Hungarian history through the Sonnenscheins, a Jewish family of liquor distillers. Ignatz (Ralph Fiennes) becomes a prominent Judge under the Hapsburgs, changing his name to Sors due to antisemitism. His nephew Adam (Fiennes) becomes a champion fencer in the 1936 Olympics, only to be proscribed by the fascist Arrow Cross. Adam's son Ivan survives the war, joining the Communist police to seek revenge on fascists. Ivan's content with his work until he's forced to interrogate mentor Knorr (William Hurt). Resigning from the police Ivan's caught up in Hungary's 1956 revolution and becomes a prisoner himself.

Sunshine is a remarkable work. Szabo exhibits his fetish for historical recreation on a large scale, effortlessly bringing viewers through a tumultuous six decades. He often undercuts Lajos Koltai's stately imagery with unsettling moments, like parallel hunting scenes under the Hapsburgs and Communists, or Adam's gruesome punishment by the Arrow Cross. Like the best epics, Sunshine's interest lies not in spectacle but subject matter.

Szabo provides a caustic look at antisemitism, little changing through the "Enlightened" Dual Monarchy, Admiral Horthy's White Terror, Ferenc Salazi's fascists and postwar Communism. Ignatz changes his name to secure promotion while steadfastly denying his heritage. Adam converts to Catholicism but he's still refused entry into the Officer's Club and arrested by fascists. Even the classless Communists merely refocus Jew-hatred against Israeli Zionism. Szabo views Hungary's antisemitism not as an ephemeral fit but a toxin lodged deep in the Magyar psyche.

Szabo and cowriter Israel Horvitz adorn the pageantry with melodramatic touches. Ignatz marries first cousin Valerie (Jennifer Ehle) over his parents' objections; Adam pursues an affair with sister-in-law Greta (Rachel Weisz); Ivan romances a Politburo official (Deborah Kara Unger). Rather than bog things down, these subplots emphasize the story's main thrust: passions denied or misdirected by conformity, with the Sors men always romancing the wrong girl. But Szabo proves ultimately hopeful: tyrannies come and go but our heroes endure.

Ralph Fiennes tackles the challenge of crafting three distinct characters. Ignatz is self-loathing and ruthlessly ambitious; Adam an idealistic charmer who truly believes his talents can overrule prejudice. Ivan gets the most emotional range, developing from Bolshevik avenger to principled dissenter. Fiennes provides continuity but does a fine job making each man separate. It's some of Fiennes' best work, no small praise for the star of Quiz Show and Schindler's List.

Szabo surrounds Fiennes with a formidable ensemble. Jennifer Ehle (Zero Dark Thirty) makes a strong impression as Ignatz's wife, supplanted by Rosemary Harris in old age; Rachel Weisz and Deborah Kara Unger are less compelling. James Frain (Elizabeth) is Ignatz's radical brother, aging into John Neville (Billy Budd). Mark Strong (Kick-Ass) plays Adam's brother, while William Hurt dominates the second half as a sympathetic commissar. Miriam Margoyles steals her early scenes, playing a ferocious family matriarch.

Sunshine is a triumph on every level. Beautifully shot, impeccably acted and confronting a disturbing subject head-on, it's a seriously engrossing epic.