Movie recommendation

[cinaed]

*runs around in circles*

So, my university is putting on a Central European year-round Festival, which means they do lectures about Slovenia going green and Yugoslavia during WWII and whatnot. Tonight, it was a film entitled, Musíme si pomáhat (Divided We Fall). It's an actual Czech movie, with English subtitles.

The premise is that a childless couple in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia take in the youngest son of their Jewish employer’s family despite the danger.

So, I told myself, "Okay, prepare yourself. This is going to be as depressing as hell. The kid is going to be found, or the husband is going to get shot," and when the lady in charge of setting up the film announced that this was a comedy, I laughed and was like, "Bullshit," because hello, Nazis. No way this was going to be a comedy.

It was, in fact, a comedy. Yes, it did have the bleakness of the time, people struggling for food and needing permits, the dire straights people were in and the Soviets at the end, already looking over the Czech Resistance's shoulder, but the film also had humor, showing us the utter absurdity of life and all the crazy stunts people will pull to survive.

It was...an awesome movie. The first ten minutes leave you going, "Uh...this is going to be bad," and then suddenly it's got a plot, characters you can't help but fall in love with, and an interesting and engrossing story. If you have it in your local library or if it's on Netflix, I suggest watching it. You'll fall in love with Josef, David, Hurst, and Marie, just like I did.

...And now I want to write the AU where Zelenka was a Jew during the occupation, only it's going to be all depressing and whatnot. *hangs head*

Comments

[blue-raven.livejournal.com]

I am actually very jealous of you, for getting to see these cool histroical (and subtitled!) movies. Really, really jealous. I must find a copy of that film! One I've been meaning to get is Watched Trains from 1966, but it's impossible to find. If they show it, go along and tell me about it. Living vicariously is the next best thing to being there. :D

[roaringmice.livejournal.com]

Closely Watched Trains is actually going to be shown on one of my cable channels this weekend, at some bizarre hour of the night. I've set up to record it, although I've seen it before. I wonder if it will also air near you? Check!

Like the film described above, it's sort of a... well, I suppose I'd describe it as a comedy, but it's got that very Czech feel to it, like the film above. You're thinking, based on the subject matter, that this film can not possibly be funny. And yet it is.

[blue-raven.livejournal.com]

Actually, I live in New Zealand, so I sadly doubt that it'll be on near me. I don't know so much about it, except that it won an Oscar back in 1966 or something. I just keep seeing the name of it everywhere and I am really curious about it. :D

[roaringmice.livejournal.com]

I was able to get it via interlibrary loan. I wonder if your local library is hooked to larger library network, and can borrow it from somewhere for you? It is worth seeing.

[blue-raven.livejournal.com]

I'll have to look into that, thanks for the heads up!

[cinaed.livejournal.com]

*snickers* One of the plot keywords for Closely Watched Trains is, um, pigeon. Seriously. This movie sounds awesome already.

[blue-raven.livejournal.com]

Sounds like Fate to me. Awesome Fate. :D

[cinaed.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'd never heard of Watched Trains. If they show it, I'll definitely watch it. Subtitles are so much fun, and it was so neat to hear Czech from like thirty different people, and the random excerpts of German and French. But yay for living vicariously! ;)

...Crap. Divided We Fall is on Amazon. At a semi-decent price. *eyes it* If I buy it (which I'm sure I will, the next time my father gives me guilt money), I can try and see if my brother can burn a copy for you.

I didn't realize it was nominated for an Oscar for the Best Foreign Film category, but I'm not surprised. It's just that awesome.

[blue-raven.livejournal.com]

You know I meant Closely Watched Trains, hah, serves me right for being clever so late at night. But you must, and tell me how good it is, just in case I am lucky enough to get it somewhere. *fingers crossed*

Yay guily money! And, thank you. I'll keep my fingers crossed for that as well.

Every travel-book I've read on CZ keeps telling me to see it, and who am I to disagree with Lonely Planet? :D

Also, your AU bunny sounds very curious. I'm such a sucker for historical-based AUs, and that is *exactly* the period of European history I always read up about. *sends the bunny carrots* ♥

[cinaed.livejournal.com]

Well, it looks like the next film we're watching is Autumn Spring, which is only described as "Uplifting award-winning comedy about a retired actor who delights in jovial schemes and impish cons." *eyes it* Well, it is another Czech film, so I will have to see how that is. *grin*

Yes, we'll see. Mom's finally had to subponea him to drag him to court on the 7th and get the divorce finalized (been two YEARS without him signing the papers and being a general loser), so I'm expecting guilt money after the court battle. ;)

It is an amazing movie, I can see why all the travel-books are telling you to watch it. I just don't know why it didn't win an Oscar. Oh, I know, because Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was nominated that year. *rolls eyes, since I already had issues with that movie*

Well, I'd had a vague, "Hey, Czechoslovakia got really fucked over by the US and Britain during WWII, that could make an interesting WWII AU" in my head, but this movie really makes me want to grab a few history books and get facts and whatnot and write that AU.

...Like I don't have a million AUs already. *eyes the sequels to 'Scorecards' and 'Rejects'*

[firebubbles310.livejournal.com]

that sounds vaguely familiar, like a premise for one of the movies we watched in my soviet film class...

but it does sound very entertaining i love happy world war II movies, mind you i can't seem to find many (not a big surprise). i will be looking for that movie, even if i have to ask thresher to find me one, but i am hoping netflix has it to avoid that scary thought.

and of course you thought of an au to go with it, works so perfect. so what number is that one on the list of SGA au's you need to write? *snickers*

thanks for the rec!

[cinaed.livejournal.com]

Well, it's sold on Amazon, so it's probably on Netflix under foreign films. Especially since it was nominated for an Oscar in 2000. :)

...Shut up. *glares at my numerous list of AUs waiting to be written*

[firebubbles310.livejournal.com]

it is on netflix! *renewing account to rent it*

good luck writing! *laughing and runs away*

[firebubbles310.livejournal.com]

i will never ever complain about RMWC's library again because we actaully have it in the librabry. *falls over shocked* i am so watching that tonight then.

[cinaed.livejournal.com]

They do? Wow, good for RMWC for once. *grin* Have fun with it. ;) Oh, and you'll probably be interested in the way they use the camera in the film. *nods*

[no-eden.livejournal.com]

Dude. That movie is amazing.

[cinaed.livejournal.com]

It so is! I so wasn't expecting it to be that amazing! :)