58 Seconds

"With the help of close-up images, all the emotions of the main character can be followed, both before the competition and after the defeat. The last sequences show the start again."^[7]

Her approach in the film was compared to her later work, Kilencedik emelet (1977): "It is about the impossibility of success, but also about the inevitable necessity of following the path that leads to it. It is about the struggle, about “almost” success – in the narrow, hopeless world of the Kádár era. Where our humanity can be preserved only by not giving up. Even if we are defeated – that is, our situation is hopeless – we will not. The swimmer of 58 seconds falls short of the big race, but continues training the next day; the "welfare" family model of the Kilencedik emelet is falling apart, but this spurs the teenage girl of the two children to even better performance."^[8]