Lajko – Cigany az Urben, written and directed by Balazs Lengyel - 8.8 out of 10

Lajko – Cigany az Urben, written and directed by Balazs Lengyel

8.8 out of 10

Although not soon on your radar – hopefully you read this and look for the comedy – this interesting film is worth watching.

It brings a new perspective on the Soviet space program, the sexuality of Leonid Brezhnev and challenges the idea that they only tried with Lajka – very close to Lajko – the dog and then the Russians succeeded with Gagarin.

Even if a complete fantasy most likely, the spirit, the ideas inserted in the plot are not just worthwhile, they satirize with splendid talent the monstrosity of a murderous social system.

The communists select three people to take part in a space program, supervised by Leonid Brezhnev, before the beast becomes leader of the Evil Empire and one of the most dangerous men ever.

One is Lajko – Serban Lajos, played by the excellent Tamas Keresztes, a Cigany aka gipsy that comes from a family that had tried to fly, using rockets propelled by ‘bio’ fuel, using manure from the farm…if this is not mistaken.

Tuned is the huge German woman who is part of the group of three, a rather loathsome person to begin with – nonetheless, she would show a more humane, kinder side later – very aggressive.

She is a fascist that keeps insulting Lajko and the others, people she sees as ‘inferior’, seeing that she is a descendent of the Nazis, a self-perceived Aryan, with wonderful genes, not like those other hoi polloi.

The third, last person in the project is a Mongol who would die because of Brezhnev – evidently just one of a multitude – for when they place the participants to the tests in metal coffins, the stupid Leonid puts his vodka glass on top of the space left for breathing and the poor Mongol dies.

Communists are vile, no matter what they claim, the ideals they boast about, and the three were selected as human fodder, sacrificial lambs on the altar of ‘high science’, knowing they will die.

In fact, the film claims – perhaps accurately – that the Soviets have killed many in their efforts to conquer outer space and it was not just one dog, but many monkeys and other animals.

And many people.

Lajko’s uncle is taking care of him on the base where the experiments take place and where Brezhnev, the ultimate apparatchik arrives, welcomed by a man who has grenades all over him.

The poor dissident tries to kill the communist leader, in what is today so common alas and known as suicide attacks, but he fails.

In a bizarre, both amusing and tragic, grotesque at times twist, Leonid Brezhnev is attracted – could this be called love? Was the monster capable of noble feelings or was it just sexual desire? – to the uncle.

This viewer was thinking that this could be a pertinent explanation for the kisses these men pressed on each other…

Full on the lips!

Three times over! In real life, not just in this comedy

There is a scene where a large group of military officials, high-ranking generals, but soldiers as well is made to kiss each other in frenzy.

Then some are shot dead, as it is more suitable for the mass killing communists with their ‘all animals are equal’ slogans.

Unfairness was the name of the game – the under signed has lived under a communist regime and furthermore we still pay the heavy tribute to that awful doctrine – and they were racists at all levels.

As mentioned before, the gipsy and the Mongol are selected because the officials know they will die, together with the fascist German.

When Lajko lands in a field, some locals, Asian looking, perhaps Uzbeks, maybe Kazaks, appear…

Lajko says – soviet astronaut!

Cigany! They reply, even when they see the special costume, the unmistakable massive headgear and all the rest.

That is communism for you, in a formidable movie!