Writing about Rise of the Raven as a miniseries about defending Hungary feels reductive. It’s more than that but fine, it’s about one of Hungary’s historical figures. TIFF screened the first two episodes of Rise of the Raven, covering the 1420s. Then lived Janos Hunyadi (Gellért L. Kádár), a Hungarian whose eyeing a Serbian noblewoman.
That noblewoman is Mara Brankovic (Franciska Töröcsik), who reluctantly marries Ottoman Sultan Murad II. Murathan Muslu plays the stoic Sultan who wants to conquer the Balkans and Hungary. Forlorn, Janos defends his King – and don’t ask – Sigismund of Luxembourg (László Gálffi). He also moves on from Mara to the headstrong Elizabeth Szilágyi (Vivien Rujder).
Is Rise of the Raven Euro propaganda – probably not, even with its hotties. What saves this miniseries though is its gallows humour – let me write about that. So one of Sigismund’s hangers on is the super slimy Ulrich Cillei (Ernõ Fekete), who orchestrates the Mara marriage, thinking she’ll write letters to her sister Katalin.
Marina Gera plays Katalin who, by the way, dies of childbirth, kiboshing Ulrich’s plans, which also shows that, possibly argues, that the Hungarian court is its own enemy. Rise of the Raven is much a court period piece than a battle one. If anything, this shows how the former in its diversity influences the latter. Equally interesting is the conflict between Mara and Murad, different from the men in Europe. Murad’s characterization is nuanced even if he proves old adages like men ain’t shit.
- Rated: Unrated
- Genre: Biography, Drama, History, War
- Release Date: 9/8/2025
- Directed by: Orsi Nagypal, Robert Dornhelm
- Starring: Franciska Töröcsik, Gellért L. Kádár, Vivien Rujder
- Produced by: Ari Lantos, Robert Lantos, Tibor Krsko
- Written by: Balázs Lengyel, George Mihalka
- Studio: Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), Serendipity Point Films
