“Demimonde” at SLIFF 2016: A Woman of Questionable Reputation

On the morning of January 10, 1914, a wicker trunk was discovered floating in the River Danube in Budapest, and inside was a female corpse. Eventually identified as a wealthy “kept woman” named Emília Turcsányi, her murder and the subsequent trial of her killer sensationalized the world, but today the crime is little known outside of Hungary. Director Attila Szász’ new historical thriller Demimonde endeavors to bring the story to a wider audience, albeit in a highly fictionalized form.

The viewer’s entry point into this sordid tale is Kató (Laura Döbrösi), a wide-eyed young woman who secures a position as the junior housemaid in an opulent Budapest apartment. Said flat is the home of the alluring and sophisticated Elza (Patricia Kovács), but the rent—and the bills for Elza’s extravagant lifestyle—is paid by an affluent furniture maker (János Kulka). The head maid Rózsi (Dorka Cryllus) turns a blind eye to her mistress’ indiscretions and suffers her abuses with grim piety, a situation all the more painful due to the history the women share. Kató, however, is fascinated by Elza, who quickly takes the young servant into her confidence and shows her the riches that can be gleaned by acting a part.

Director Szász takes a visually vivid if unadventurous approach to this material, permitting the film to luxuriate in lavish period production design and the luscious, alternately warm and wintery cinematography of András Nagy. Norbert Köbli’s screenplay is suitably melodramatic and even mischievous in places, but ultimately the choices made in the process of fictionalizing history feel pedestrian, more fascinated with titillating straight male viewers than in engaging seriously with a women’s narrow choices in the teetering social order of imperial Hungary. The result is a salacious crime thriller that’s lovely to look at, but not much else.

Demimonde screens Friday, November 4 at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday, November 9, at 9:00 p.m. Both screenings are at the Hi-Pointe Backlot. For tickets or additional information visit the Cinema St. Louis website.