Drama / historický, USA, 1950, 86 min.



During a meeting of the Overseas Press Club, guest of honor Tom Kelly shows a newsreel about the international spread of Communism and describes his recent experiences in Soviet-dominated Hungary: In the fall of 1948, after harassment by the Kremlin, Tom leaves his post in Moscow to investigate the situation in Budapest. There, he meets music teacher Stephanie Varna, who is romantically involved with Alex Melnikov, a Russian officer, and inspires her with his talk of personal liberty. Tom asks Stephanie about Josef, Cardinal Mindszenty, the Roman Catholic prelate of Hungary and a firm opponent of the Communist regime, and she replies that despite Mindszenty's popularity, there is no effective underground movement to support him. When Tom gets an anonymous tip advising him to visit Mindszenty's mother, he and Stephanie drive to the family farm, where they meet the cardinal himself. Mindszenty tells them he expects to be arrested for his stand against the police state, and predicts that the Russians will attempt to vilify him as well. When Stephanie returns to her apartment, Alex is waiting for her with the news that Mindszenty's secretary was arrested that morning. The next day, a secret police officer comes to Stephanie's classroom with a petition demanding Mindszenty's arrest, and when Stephanie and her students refuse to sign it, she is arrested. Alex intervenes and arranges a visa for Stephanie, but she refuses to leave Budapest. Several days later, Commissar Belov, Tom's nemesis from the Kremlin, meets with local officials and secret police to discuss their strategy for handling Mindszenty, and they decide to discredit Mindszenty by spreading the rumor that he is an anti-semitic traitor. On Christmas Eve, Tom holds a secret celebration with Stephanie and Alex, who reflects on the tragic losses his family suffered during the war. Shortly after the holiday, Mindszenty is arrested, leaving behind a note proclaiming his innocence and denying any "confession" that might subsequently be attributed to him. After more than thirty days of relentless interrogation, Mindszenty still has not confessed, and, reluctant to resort to physical torture before the trial, the doctor for the secret police recommends using a hypnotic drug on the cardinal. Meanwhile, Tom is severely beaten by a Nazi gang, which leaves a note on his body reading "Heil Hitler, Heil Stalin." Stephanie shows Alex the note and urges him to follow his conscience and start an underground movement, but when Belov walks in, Alex has Stephanie arrested for espionage and treason. Stephanie refuses to confess to any crimes, and she dies under torture. As the conspiracy trial of Mindszenty and several other clerics begins, Tom questions Alex about Stephanie, reproaching him for being no better than the Nazis. Guilt-ridden, Alex goes to Stephanie's apartment, where he is shot to death by his fellow officers. Mindszenty is convicted of treason and sentenced to life in prison. Back at the Overseas Press Club meeting, Tom speaks on behalf of the martyrs in Eastern Europe and reminds his colleagues that liberty is everybody's business.
Uprav informace o filmu

Režie: Felix E. Feist
Herci: Charles Bickford, Bonita Granvilleová, Paul Kelly, Richard Derr, Roland Winters, více...

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