The Witness

József Pelikán lives as a single father and works as a dike-reeve, carrying the memory of his underground past. He balances family duties with his hard-won dignity in a country under tight political control. The opening portrait establishes him as a steadfast, working-class figure shaped by postwar Hungary.

Dániel falls into the Danube while fishing near the dike; Pelikán dives in to pull him to safety and then invites him to his home. The reunion stirs memories of their underground days and hints at surveillance looming over their past. Their bond becomes a focal point for the regime's mounting pressure.

As the two reminisce, the ÁVH bursts in after a 'serious anonymous report' of illegal pig slaughter. Dániel tries to shield Pelikán by demonstrating loyalty, but his actions inadvertently reveal Pelikán's basement where the pork is hidden. The raid marks the collapse of their safety and Pelikán's fall under state scrutiny.

Pelikán is marched off to prison, his fate hanging on the whims of higher command. After a period of confinement, he is released on orders that seem opaque and strategic rather than merciful. The episode plants the seed of the regime's ongoing manipulation of his life.

Comrade Virág, presenting a veneer of kindness, assigns Pelikán to a string of public roles: swimming-pool CEO, amusement-park administrator, and later head of an orange research institute. Each post tests his usefulness to the state and his ability to perform a crafted image of the worker. The assignments illustrate how political theater is used to shape public perception.

Ideologically under-educated, Pelikán bungles every assignment while remaining tied to a routine of prison visits. The cycle of public failure and private confinement highlights the regime's control over his life. These cycles reveal how the state weaponizes work to manage loyal citizens.

Finally, the orange research institute project yields a tangible success and Pelikán is officially rewarded. The victory feels manufactured to affirm the regime's narrative of progress. The moment demonstrates the state's power to stage 'success' and reward loyalty.

All along, the arrangement is to turn Pelikán into a show-trial witness against his old comrade Dániel. The state reshapes him into the archetypal 'Hungarian worker, 1950,' ready to indict a friend for the regime's benefit. The corridors tighten as the plan wires itself into the system.

Before the trial, Pelikán is presented with a pre-written testimony he must memorize to fit the regime's narrative. The coercive preparation reveals the distance between truth and the theatrical courtroom. He senses the manipulation but remains under pressure to comply.

In the courtroom, Pelikán rejects the memorized lines and tells the truth instead. His act disrupts the regime's carefully staged narrative and unsettles the officials. The moment becomes a personal stand against political manipulation, even as the power structure endures.

As punishment for his honesty, Pelikán is thrown back in prison. The system demonstrates its readiness to crush dissent and enforce the script it prefers. His fate underscores the brutal consequences of resisting the state's manufactured history.

Stalin's death triggers a political thaw, and the authorities release Pelikán from confinement. The change reflects shifting power dynamics and a slow loosening of the earlier purges. The release promises an uncertain but possible future beyond the courtroom theater.

Pelíkán meets Comrade Virág again on a tram, discovering that Virág has lost his former power and influence. The tram becomes a quiet boundary between the old guard and a shifting reality. The encounter seals a sense of distance from the regime and a new personal horizon for Pelikán.

The film closes with lingering tensions between the underground past and the present state control. Pelikán moves forward free from prison, tempered by his choices and experiences. The final image leaves him navigating a country where truth can collide with power, even as the memory of the show trial lingers.