On the verge of collapse

Western films in Hungarian cinemas in the 1980s

Abstract

The Hungarian film and cinema industry had long been integrated into world cinema by the 1980s. Although Hungarian films earned international recognition in the 1960s, importing Western films was necessary to supply sufficient films to Hungarian cinemas after the general opening to the world since de-Stalinization. When selecting which of the ‘capitalist movies’ to show, entertainment films were chosen besides those which explicitly criticized Western society. The cultural policy of the 1980s placed greater emphasis on satisfying the audience’s demand for entertainment, and other factors pushed the cinema industry in the same direction: growing expectations for it be economically viable, the illegal trade in home video cassettes and changes in the composition of the audience. While the official policy of setting ratios of types of films approved – was only loosened reluctantly up until 1987/88, the programme selections by cinemas significantly altered the picture: in the 1980s Western movies – chiefly American, Italian and French – represented the decisive majority of screenings in the cinemas of Budapest.