Directed by Frantisec Vlacil
Written by Frantisec Pavlicek and Frantisec Vlacil from a novel by Vladislav Vancura
1967/Czechoslovakia
IMDB link
First viewing/Criterion Channel
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
[box] “I’ll try a pagan friend, thought I, since Christian kindness has proved but hollow courtesy.” ― Herman Melville, “Moby Dick”[/box]
One stunning image follows another in this violent tale of the clash of paganism and Christianity during an endless winter in medieval Europe.
I stopped trying to figure out who all the characters and what they were doing about half an hour in. Notably, pagan robbers abduct and rape the title character, whose father had dedicated her to God.
The situation devolves into all-out clan warfare. Did I mention that the winter is endless?
This is one of the most visually beautiful movies I have seen. I might get more out of it on a second viewing. The rape and other violence make that unlikely.
Without the synopsis from Wikipedia it is entirely impossible to work out who is who and what is happening.
I got the feeling that the director and the screenplay writer had been on a permanent LSD trip making this movie.
Seems like they made it up as they filmed. Am on a bad string of List movies of late. Hoping Viy will change my outlook.
1967 is a polarized year on the List. The good movies are great while the bad are dismally poor.
68 will be a great year, I promise.
I think I’m getting to the ones I have been putting off for months, and with good reason in some cases. I’m going to have a hard time picking my ten favorites for 1967. I can guarantee many of them will not be from the List.