Sisyphus (film)

This article is about the Hungarian short film. For the Greek myth it was inspired by, see Sisyphus.

Sisyphus
Opening title card
Directed byMarcell Jankovics
CinematographyZoltán Bacsó
Edited byJános Czipauer
Katalin Gyöpös (assistant)
Production
company
Release date
  • October 1974 (1974-10) (United States)
Running time
2 minutes
CountryHungary

Sisyphus is a 1974 Hungarian animated short film directed by Marcell Jankovics.[1] The 2-minute-long black and white short film has no spoken dialogue, and portrays the mythological Greek tale of Sisyphus, rolling an ever growing boulder up a hill.[1] It was purportedly inspired by the immensity of the undertaking of Jankovics' earlier 74-minute-long animated film, Johnny Corncob (1973).[2]

The film was drawn almost entirely by Jankovics, with occasional help by another artist.[3] During an interview in 2005, Jankovics said they managed to produce 1,800 ink drawings in six weeks, and said he considered it his best work.[3]

Reception and legacy

The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 48th Academy Awards in 1976, losing to Bob Godfrey's Great (1975).[4]

In 2008, it was used in a commercial for the GMC Yukon Hybrid which was shown at the Super Bowl.[5]

During the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, in France, a "Tribute to Hungarian Animation" special programme was organized which included the short film, played on 9 and 14 June 2025.[6][7]

As of February 2026, the film has an IMDb rating of 7.0/10 (calculated out of 1,184 user ratings),[8] and a Letterboxd rating of 3.75/5 (calculated out of 4,336 user ratings).[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Exclusive: Watch A Restored Cult Animated Short from Marcell Jankovics". Austin Film Society. 2020-08-17.
  2. ^ "Sisyphus". National Film Institute Hungary. 2019-08-21. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
  3. ^ a b "Az embernek néha „elsül" a keze..." [Sometimes a person's hand "burns"...]. ujszo.com (in Hungarian). 2005-04-08. Archived from the original on 2016-12-01.
  4. ^ "The 48th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 1976. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  5. ^ Amidi, Amid (2008-02-04). "Marcell Jankovics Animation Used In A Super Bowl Spot". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
  6. ^ "Tribute to Hungarian Animation" (PDF). Annecy International Animation Film Festival. 2025-06-03. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  7. ^ "Classic 1 – Lifeline | A Tribute to Hungarian Animation". Annecy International Animation Film Festival. 2025-06-09. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  8. ^ "Sisyphus (Short 1974) - Ratings". IMDb. 2026-02-14. Archived from the original on 2026-02-14. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
  9. ^ "Sisyphus (1974) directed by Marcell Jankovics". Letterboxd. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisyphus_(film)