Gloomy Sunday (2003)
91%RT Audience Score: 92%
Awards & Nominations: 7 wins & 5 nominations
Gloomy Sunday is a film that exudes old-fashioned romanticism and melancholy, with a hauntingly beautiful titular tune that will stay with you long after the credits roll. The film’s crisp cinematography and gorgeous production design transport you to Budapest during World War II, where four divergently different people find themselves intertwined in a complex web of love and loss. While the movie may have its moments of syrupy melodrama, it’s the film’s enormous passion and stirring affirmation of the power of love that make it a must-see for fans of the genre. With well-acted performances and a mood that elicits emotion from the beginning, Gloomy Sunday undoubtedly deserves to be added to the ranks of the best Holocaust films ever made.
Gloomy Sunday” is a movie that will make you feel all the feels. It’s got romance, drama, and a hauntingly beautiful song that will stick with you long after the credits roll. The cinematography and production design are top-notch, transporting you to Budapest during World War II. The characters are intriguing and well-acted, making you root for them even when their choices are questionable. Overall, “Gloomy Sunday” is a must-watch for anyone who loves a good love story with a touch of melancholy. Just make sure you have some tissues handy!
Production Company(ies)
Jigsaw Productions, Wider Film Projects Below The Radar Entertainment,
Distributor
Arrow Releasing Inc., Menemsha Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Budapest, Hungary
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1999
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 54m
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Language(s):German, English, Hungarian
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 21, 1999 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 12, 2006
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Joachim Król, Stefano Dionisi, Ben Becker, Erika Marozsán, Sebastian Koch, László I Kish, directed by Rolf Schübel, written by Ruth Toma, Nick Barkow, Rolf Schübel, drama, box office gross $223.8K, reviewed by Richard Nilsen, Marrit Ingman, Jay Boyar, Terry Lawson, Philip Wuntch, Mick LaSalle, Cole Smithey, Mark Halverson, Kam Williams, Shawn Levy, Ted Murphy, Jeffrey M Anderson, 84% Tomatometer, 92% audience score, Menemsha Films, Arrow Releasing Inc., Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo, Flat (1.85:1) aspect ratio, World War II Germany, suicide, love triangle, Hungarian song, romanticism, Holocaust film, melodrama, European period romance, nudity, twist ending
Worldwide gross: $646,532
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,160,543
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,560
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 126,559
US/Canada gross: $585,604
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,051,176
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,181
US/Canada opening weekend: $7,102
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $12,748
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,653
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Stefano Dionisi – András
Ben Becker – Hans Wieck
Erika Marozsán – Ilona
Sebastian Koch – Obersturmbannführer Eichbaum
László I. Kish – Standartenführer Schnefke
Director(s)
Rolf Schübel
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
7 wins & 5 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (64) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (54) | Rotten (10)
It’s intelligent, well-acted and beautifully photographed.
May 12, 2005 | Rating: 3.5/5
Richard Nilsen
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
May 2, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marrit Ingman
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Its old-fashioned romanticism is heady, and the relationships among the characters are intriguing.
February 20, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
It has enough opulent, oversized romanticism to make it a guilty pleasure, not to mention three attractive and appealing characters and, of course, that song.
December 19, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
It’s a stirring and provocative affirmation of the power and resilience of love.
December 11, 2003 | Rating: B+
Philip Wuntch
Dallas Morning News
TOP CRITIC
Gloomy Sunday has a mood and a magic about it that elicit emotion from the beginning and make an audience follow it down its curving and melancholy path.
December 5, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
With the Hungarian song “Gloomy Sunday” as its thematic centerpiece, this personalized story of Budapest during World War II becomes a satisfying romantic drama about four divergently different people.
May 13, 2009 | Rating: B
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
Undoubtedly deserves to be added to the ranks of the best Holocaust films ever made.
May 2, 2007 | Rating: 4/4
Kam Williams
Princeton Town Topics
It’s old-fashioned, sometimes accomplished, syrupy and, at its intermittent best, absorbing.
April 20, 2007 | Rating: B-
Shawn Levy
Oregonian
Like many European films, GLOOMY SUNDAY has crisp cinematography and gorgeous production design, not to mention that hauntingly melancholic titular tune. The principal actors, for the most part, are attractive and talented. The movie apes the traditi
January 11, 2007 | Rating: B
Ted Murphy
Murphy’s Movie Reviews
This strange movie has a hard time balancing all these elements, but the film’s enormous passion overcomes its more obvious melodrama.
October 5, 2006 | Rating: 3/4
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid…
Plot
During World War II in Germany, a woman’s love for two men inspires one to write a song that mysteriously drives some to suicide in the drama film “Gloomy Sunday.”
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast includes Joachim Król, Stefano Dionisi, Ben Becker, Erika Marozsán, Sebastian Koch, and László I. Kish.
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