Wartime Europe provides the backdrop to this tale of three star-crossed Hungarians blessed and cursed by the attractions of the superlative-defying Ilona. While male suitors László and Andras are the plot's most obvious victims, Ilona herself falls prey to her own powers, and the musical piece they inspire.<br /><br />In these IMDb days it is so difficult to come to a film completely cold, and I always feel a little sorry for audiences who do not get to experience films like Gloomy Sunday completely unencumbered. The blurb for the film tells you it is in one sense a menage-a-trois story, but that is already giving away too much for my taste. There are truly surprising and dramatic moments in this film: László dares to tell a joke that could cost him his life, Ilona makes an ill-fated decision to seduce Andras, and a moment of wonderful pathos climaxes the film as László is about to board a train. This is the film's cathartic climax, the resolution of the wartime tale being told in flashback. The actual 'resolution' of the film that takes place in the present time is just a shade formulaic and overcooks an otherwise superbly balanced and nuanced film. <br /><br />Excellent performances, a seductive musical theme, and extra plaudits for employment of a too-often neglected technique these days - leaving off-screen action to the viewers' imagination. Two suicide attempts and a character's ageing by 50 years are all conveyed through clever editing rather than expensive stunts, CGI or prosthetics. Maybe it was a budgetary rather than aesthetic decision to do so, but bravo nonetheless. <br /><br />Gloomy Sunday is a quality film with images and sounds that will remain with you long afterwards. Tragic but uplifting, my estimation of it grows with each subsequent viewing.