Marketa Lazarová

Movie Information

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Marketa Lazarova at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18 at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com
Score:

Genre: Drama
Director: Frantisek Vlácil
Starring: Magda Vásáryová, Josef Kemr, Nada Hejna, Jaroslav Moucka, Frantisek Velecký
Rated: NR

I am informed that Frantisek Vlácil’s Marketa Lazarová (1967) was voted—by a 1998 survey of Czech critics—the greatest Czech film ever made. Setting aside the question of either how many Czech critics there are, or just how much competition there is for that accolade (oh, I’ll get mail for that), I have to say that I simply don’t “get it.” Indeed, I find the film itself verging on the incomprehensible, and—at 158 minutes—one tough slog. That said, I freely concede that it is a visually stunning work. Its widescreen compositions are invariably striking, and Vlácil’s technical mastery is without question—hence the four-star rating. The story about a feud between two 13th-century clans—one Christian, one pagan—with the title character at its center, didn’t do much for me. I’ve seen it compared to Seven Samurai (1954), Andrei Rublev (1966) and The Seventh Seal (1957), but I don’t see much connection with those. As drama, it simply didn’t connect with me on any level, but I’m not writing it off or saying it’s bad—merely, that it’s not for me. Those with a strong interest in Eastern European film may well feel differently. And visually, it is indeed something to see.

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About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

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2 thoughts on “Marketa Lazarová

  1. Film Fan

    Wasn’t there a Marketa Lazarova Free Speech Award in Asheville at one time?

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