Die Laterne des Herrn in Budapest (1999): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 1999, Die Laterne des Herrn in Budapest is a komödie and drama film directed by Miklós Jancsó, running about 103 minutes. “Ha én állat lennék, nem tartanék embert a lakásban...” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. In the Kerepesi Street cemetery, three grave diggers contemplate the fate of the world, then they step out of this role and in a sequence of episodes they play the typical figures of contemporary Hungarian reality, the fat cat, the swashbuckler, the victim, underworld chieftains, and present little absurd dramas of love, marriage, friendship, public order and legal safety. The author and the film director walk among them all the time, contemplating, laughing at their plays. The stories starting from the graveyard and returning there warn of the inevitability of death. The author and the director (Gyula Hernádi and Miklós Jancsó) wisely make friends with death.

Who’s in it. Die Laterne des Herrn in Budapest stars Zoltán Mucsi as Kapa, Péter Scherer as Pepe, József Szarvas as Józsi and Miklós Jancsó as Himself, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.1/10, Die Laterne des Herrn in Budapest has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Die Laterne des Herrn in Budapest page.

If you liked it. Fans of Die Laterne des Herrn in Budapest tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Das Leben ist schön and Fight Club.