Šílení
Lunacy
Regie:
Jan ŠvankmajerDrehbuch:
Jan ŠvankmajerKamera:
Juraj GalvánekBesetzung:
Pavel Liška, Jan Tříska, Aňa Geislerová, Martin Huba, Jaroslav Dušek, Pavel Nový, Stanislav Dančiak, Jiří Krytinář, Helena Anýžová, Kateřina Růžičková (mehr)Inhalte(1)
This philosophical horror story is loosely based on two Edgar Allan Poe tales: The Premature Burial and The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether. Young Berlot suffers from a recurrent dream in which hospital orderlies attempt to strap him into a straightjacket. The dream ends with his waking up in a destroyed room. After his mother´s funeral, Berlot meets a certain marquis in a pub and accepts an invitation to his palace. One night he witnesses an orgy in the palace chapel. A young woman is being forced to participate and she captivates Berlot to such a degree that he decides immediately to quit the palace. The marquis, however, falls into a cataleptic fit which seems like death, and the nobleman´s valet forces Berlot to seal the coffin. The next day they find the marquis feasting in the family tomb. He too has his secrets and is thus able to offer Berlot therapy which should end his troublesome dreams. (Verleiher-Text)
(mehr)Kritiken (2)
Švankmajer has no counterpart on the home field and even in the global context, as he is an extremely original creator with a clearly readable signature, which is undeniable even in the case of Lunacy. The live-action element in the style of his later works clearly prevails here, and the animated scenes serve only to enhance the atmosphere. The moving parts of pork, bones, and innards serve to express the decay of contemporary society. Švankmajer's message is evident, and it is actually a parable of modern politics and recent Czech history, i.e., the conflict between authoritarianism and dictatorship on one side and democracy and liberalism on the other. Too much freedom which people are unable to handle and which can slip out of their hands could lead to a return to authoritarian methods. The screenplay is excellent and utilizes both the framework of two stories by Edgar Allan Poe and, above all, motifs from the life fate of the Marquis de Sade and his stay in an asylum toward the end of his life. Švankmajer fans can once again expect plenty of creative tricks, decadent elements, and a very unique atmosphere. This time, the creator additionally spiced up the film with a number of small jokes in the style of the dialogue. In terms of acting, both in terms of type and performance, it is excellent. Overall impression: 95%. One of the best Czech films of the decade.
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Schön, so ein Film wird mit der Zeit golden und muss im Kontext von Švankmajers Werken gesehen werden, der pure Liebe für E. A. Poe oder den Marquis de Sade würden in diesem Fall nicht wirklich ausreichen. Ein wunderbarer Beweis dafür, dass auch die beliebtesten Schauspieler zu Recht auf ihrem Sockel stehen können. Reizvoll ist auch, dass einige der perversen Requisiten aus diesem Film heute die Ausstellungen der Nationalgalerie schmücken.
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