Witness Again
A guileless retired gatekeeper becomes the unlikely face of a new democracy while rival power brokers turn his civic innocence into comic political chaos.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- absurdist
- exasperated
- political satire night
- Hungarian cinema exploration
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Pelikán is repeatedly recruited and manipulated by competing power groups seeking to advance their own interests.
The plot explicitly places Pelikán inside Hungary's emerging democracy and developing capitalist economy.
The good-natured retired gatekeeper is considered for mayor and used by different factions because of his spotless past.
Pelikán's new civic role triggers another series of difficult and humorous adventures as the political situation supposedly intensifies.
Films like Witness Again, and why
The Witness
shared Hungarian political satire, absurdist comedy, and an ordinary protagonist manipulated by shifting power structures
The Firemen's Ball
shared Eastern European absurdism, bureaucratic satire, and comic pressure from opaque authorities
Good Bye, Lenin!
shared satirical comedy about political transition, opportunism, and everyday people caught in institutional absurdity
Movie Details
- Director
- Péter Bacsó
- Release Date
- 1995-02-02
- Rating
- 5.2 / 10 (9)
Cast
- Ferenc Kállai
- György Cserhalmi
- Géza Kaszás
- Olivér Csendes
Common questions
- What is Witness Again about?
- A guileless retired gatekeeper becomes the unlikely face of a new democracy while rival power brokers turn his civic innocence into comic political chaos.
- What is Witness Again like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Witness Again as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Witness Again violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Witness Again.
- Which films are like Witness Again?
- Films with a similar feel include The Witness, The Firemen's Ball, and Good Bye, Lenin!.
