Adelheid

František Vláčil’s last big film. The consolidating normalisation regime did not like him and for many years he could only make documentaries. What a shame! (24.05.2002)

A beautifully sad picture, fundamentally damaged by being shot in color. To be exact, in awful over-exposed pastel colors (although it doesn’t look so bad in the gallery here, maybe it was only a problem of the DVD from my Golden Collection of Czech Films). You can see how much better it would be in black and white during the last scene, or in the bonus section of the aforementioned DVD. On the other hand, my feeling that Vláčil and Ulrich were so engulfed in filming in color that they got a bit sloppy image-wise would still persist. Here and there we get unforgettable “images" from The Valley of the Bees. (23.01.2009)

Was it love? Or could it have been love when it was dictated by the political situation, the dominance of one party that was able and willing to buy a woman for two bottles of cognac? What would a love relationship between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian woman during the intifada be like? In any case, Vláčil proves why he is considered by many to be the most talented director in the history of Czech cinema. I have seen many films that more or less successfully played at being artistic, but this doesn't have to pretend to be anything. This is a genuine artistic gem, which may not be appreciated by fans of action films due to its slow pace and attention to detail, but film enthusiasts will find it satisfying. I fully believe in all of Vláčil's characters, I have no complaints about the depiction of the atmosphere of the Moravian borderland, and above all, I appreciate that Vláčil doesn't make it easy for the viewer, goes against expectations, and doesn't shy away from a raw, sometimes even cynical portrayal of the characters. Here there are no positive heroes in the true sense of the word, everyone has some smudge of the bad Czech aspects, boorishness, or rough plebeianism. And on the German side, there is stubbornness, hatred, and fear. Overall impression: 95%. (19.01.2012)

Eine äußerst wirkungsvoll dargestellte einfache Geschichte. Das ist Adelheid. Die erwähnte Einfachheit der Handlung ist aber keineswegs nachteilig, im Gegenteil. Alles, was man sieht, wirkt unter anderem dank der sparsamen Dialoge und der großartigen Schauspielleistungen von Petr Čepek und Emma Černá sehr glaubhaft. Es hat mich nicht gestört, dass sich František Vláčil entschieden hat, Adelheid als Farbfilm zu drehen. Szenen wie z. B. das Abendbrot beim Kerzenlicht hatten dank der Farben eine fast magische Stimmung. Zdeněk Liška, der hier als Komponist angeführt ist, hat aber diesmal nichts komponiert. Er hat sich um eine Auswahl von Strauss’ und Bachs Werken gekümmert. Und weil er es mit dem Gefühl eines Profis gemacht hat, kann ich daran nichts kritisieren. Viereinhalb. (07.01.2012)

Although the genius Franta Vláčil managed to make only a few really top-notch movies thanks to the Bolshevik anti-intellectuals for whom a documentary about Stalin's visit to a hairdresser's was top-quality, I can consider him the best Czechoslovak filmmaker ever (with the exception perhaps of Forman). Markéta Lazarová may still be on another level, but this psychological masterpiece should be required viewing for all film school students, as well as for ordinary high school students before they attend Czech-German dating courses. It won't help them strengthen their relationship, but at least the boys will know not to be fooled by a pretty German face :) But seriously, now, if, like me, you admire our cinema from the 60s, this excellent, exemplary drama will make you admire it even more. Truly great piece of work. 95% (21.03.2014)

That's what you call total depression, which František Vláčil managed to embody in his films better than anyone else. The combination of the somewhat poetic imagery with heart-wrenching music added an extra layer of emotion to the already quite somber post-war story. If the demonic Petr Čepek and the unpredictable Emma Černá had played their roles without words, it might not have harmed the film at all, given how expressive their faces were. The crushing ending was the only possible outcome of the existential turmoil of the main characters, yet it must have moved anyone who feels or longs to feel love for their fellow man. To achieve complete perfection, they just needed to change the colors to black and white. (95%) (15.12.2020)