YMMV / Heroic Times

• Awesome Art: Literally every frame is a painting, a gorgeous, living, classical oil painting with frequent touches of expressionism. You don't even mind the frequent still shots as they allow you to admire the art longer.
• Awesome Music: A booming, emotional orchestra accompanies the artistic animation.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: The film failed in is native country. Critics tore it apart and moviegoers had no idea who the target audience was meant to be. The tacked-on narration and classical music (which viewers found corny and old-fashioned) also drove away people. Yet on international festivals, where the film was screened in its original, purely musical state, foreign critics hailed it as a masterpiece.
• Too Bleak, Stopped Caring: Presentation aside, the depressing story can lead to this. Of course, it is meant to be a drama set in very dark times. As well, this might be one reason the movie got so overlooked.
• Vindicated by History: Only to a meager degree, but many Hungarians now see the film as the artistic achievement it was. Its international fame is also on the rise, thanks to a 2023 Remaster and an American Blu-ray release.