I just saw this movie again yesterday, 30 years later than I first saw it as a kid (like 8-9 years old or sg), with my parents we were visiting a friend and while the adults were talking I had nothing better to do than to watch the only TV channel at that time, and this movie was on. I somehow got touched by it, most probably I fell in love with the child Kata and when we had to leave the place in the middle of the film the only thing I was hoping that we would catch at least the end at home. I was literally depressed for not being able to watch it, it was a very strange feeling for me at that age. As an adult I thought about this movie a lot of times but never got to watch it again, till it was aired on TV again yesterday. Speaking of time shifts, the music which of course I did not remember until I heard it again, now was completely familiar since I started to play piano a few years ago and Corelli's Sarabande was one of the first pieces I played. So this was a wonderful experience for me. Sorry for keeping it long with irrelevant stuff :)
In 1970 it must have been very difficult for Istvan Szabo to deal with the anti-communist revolution theme. Jancsi was isolated from his love because of the communists yet Szabo had to include scenes where revolutionists behave like Nazis rather than fighting for all youth and the future. And of course the story in Paris about bad Nazis like it was happening again in 1956. But it was probably the deal.