SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

pointyfilippa The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

beckesdz Torn From The Flag is an inspirational David and Goliath story. I knew little about what transpired in Hungary in 1956. This film proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that man's desire for freedom can override even the most daunting odds. Everyone who loves freedom should see this film, because sometimes I think that those of us who have it...take it for granted. The courage of the Hungarian people going up against the one of the most powerful countries in the world, was the crack in the dike that eventually led to the downfall of the Soviet Union. The way Ms. Kovacs paced the film is extraordinary. It was amazing to me how much suspense she was able to create through the interviews of some of the participants and survivors of the Hungarian Revolution. Torn From the Flag is a masterful piece of work. Shelley Beckes

alauer-1 After seeing this film for the second time, I am even more convinced that it is one of the best documentary films I have seen. Klaudia and her team do a masterful job of weaving fascinating archival footage with historical perspective and personal interviews that are at times heart warming and at other times gut wrenching. I have never seen the story of 1956 told by including interviews with freedom fighters as well as AVO (the hated secret police) officers and even Russian soldiers.This film is an unforgettable history lesson for those interested in the events that lead up to the 1956 Revolution in Hungary, what happened during those fateful days when the Soviet Union was brought to it's knees by the youth of a tiny nation, and the days after the Revolution was crushed. Unlike other films on this topic, Torn from the Flag does a remarkable job of providing international context for this period, by including footage from other countries, historical information about major influencing global factors (Eisenhowers re-election, United Nations proceedings and the Suez Canal) and interviews with historical figures (Kissinger, Hapsburg, etc) and a handful of historians.As the proud daughter and granddaughter of '56-ers, the Revolution is an important topic for me and a story I feel it is important to tell over and over again in as many forms of media as possible. The spirit of 1956 must live on. This film not only does it justice, but it also takes the topic to a whole new audience. Bravo.

MATT BRENNAN I have seen many documentaries and films in my life, but never one that holds my attention quite like this wonderful film. As a boy, I followed events in Hungary in 1956, but never had a clear view of the sequence of events, or how the Hungarian Revolution played on the world stage. This movie is Michener's famous book about the Hungarian Revolution,"The Bridge at Andau," on steroids. The carefully conducted interviews give the film a human dimension. The in-depth historical commentary on the post-World War Two Hungarian police state and later Soviet duplicity, the role of Radio Free Europe and the diversion caused by an ill-timed French-British-Israeli seizure of the Suez Canal, leaves the viewer enthralled. The extensive documentary footage interwoven throughout puts it all in context.People at my screening hated to see the film end. They sat in place, eyes riveted to the screen as credits rolled. This is a well-documented, well-researched movie. Everyone should have the opportunity to view it.Thanks so much for making it.Matt

kathynagy Torn from the Flag - How can I convey in words the emotion I felt and the education I received watching this documentary and do it justice?This documentary film shows the dramatic events which led to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and consequently the collapse of the USSR Communist state decades later. The producers interviewed several actual Freedom Fighters and other participants with various points of view, so Torn from the Flag is not a mere repetition of the same news stories of the Hungarian Revolution we have heard many times before. In fact, in 90 minutes, the audience is shocked, brought to tears, witnesses the bloody struggle and the apparent short-lived victory which was achieved by the Freedom Fighters. Days later, the Hungarians' joy of freedom and hope for independence was brutally crushed by a merciless, overbearing dictatorial superpower, which was followed by severe retribution by the new communist government. Desperation replaced hope in Hungary, and the world stood by and did nothing. Why did the free world allow this suppression of liberty?This story must be told and kept alive so that current generations better understand what occurred and future generations do not forget this struggle for freedom.Thank you, Ms.Kovacs and company for this valiant production!