The Right Man for a Delicate Mission (1985): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1985, The Right Man for a Delicate Mission is a notable film directed by János Kovácsi, running about 105 minutes.

What it’s about. In this somewhat uneven political satire, good revolutionaries have overthrown a totalitarian state riddled with corruption on all levels when a truly naive bureaucrat (Boguslaw Linda) is placed on a jury that will judge the results of a history competition. Once on the jury, the young bureaucrat starts looking into the past himself and gets embroiled in a labyrinth. The past may well be unclear because recent leaders have certain facts that need to be kept buried. Filmmaker Janos Kovacsi borrows characteristics from revolutions in the Eastern European block (1950s-1980s) to create this post-revolutionary society with an idealist commander (Ferenc Zenthe) meant to lead them. A clue as to what happens next lies in the opening scene -- the funeral of the commander who has given his life for his cause. Ironically, Kovacsi undoubtedly faced censorship on this film. That would not only account for some uneven narration, but it adds a dimension of reality to the topic at hand.

Who’s in it. The Right Man for a Delicate Mission stars Ottilia Borbáth as a Rendõrfõnök titkárnõje, István Bozóky as Minister, Sándor Eszes as õr and Anna Fehér as M., fiatal nõ, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 10.0/10, The Right Man for a Delicate Mission sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Right Man for a Delicate Mission page.