Educational Media Reviews Online

The Angelmakers provides an examination of two groups of women in Hungary under the lens of empowerment. The first group of women are those involved in the murders that took place in Nagyrév, a small village about sixty miles southeast of Budapest, where 51 women were arrested for poisoning their husbands in 1929. This history is recaptured through the testimonials and narratives of the village inhabitants today, a group of old women and men who share their version of the story in sometimes humorous ways. The second group consists of contemporary women pursuing their interests in dance and yoga.

After World War I in Nagyrév, a number of women started to poison their husbands. As it turned out, the woman behind many of the deaths was the village midwife, Zsuzsanna Fazekas (Aunt Zsuzsi). At that time, under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, there was no resident doctor or health service, and the midwife enjoyed a monopoly of basic medical knowledge. In response to complaints of abusive and violent husbands, Aunt Zsuzsi offered the “solution” of arsenic obtained by soaking flypaper in the water. These murders continued until the elevated rate of death raised the suspicion of the authorities, and when the cemetery was exhumed, they found out that of the 50 bodies, 46 contained traces of arsenic.

The second group of women are dance group members who share their understanding and compassion towards the husband murderers. In their view, this female conspiracy is an example of women taking charge and searching for a solution for abusive relationships and misery at a time when divorce or other solutions to ameliorate the situation were unavailable. The women express their appreciation towards the previous generation of women who taught their daughters’ intolerance for abusive relationships and the value of independence and empowerment, sentiments also echoed by a divorced yoga teacher interviewed.

The filmmaker makes a courageous attempt in identifying common attributes between the historical and contemporary women despite disjuncture in how the ideas are connected. The treatment of the husband killers seems generous and somewhat superficial without the inclusion of ethical considerations. On the other hand, the unique history, marked irreverence of religion pervasive of the Eastern European countries, and very charming characters who give sardonic and humorous accounts of the past makes the film a rich classroom resource for discussion. Highly recommended for Eastern European studies, women’s and gender issues, marriage, domestic violence, patriarchy, and women’s empowerment.