Majskije zvjozdy

Honestly, I was expecting a much worse film as a homage to the regime and a propaganda piece, which should boost the declining popularity of our Soviet model. While other films from this period, which one remembers with nostalgia, usually bring disappointment upon a new viewing, this one was bearable and still functional considering the time it was made. Of course, the pace of today's films is much faster, and some details are off - I wouldn't believe someone like Miloš Nedbal even lasting six months in Auschwitz, let alone a six-year anabasis through Nazi concentration camps. On the other hand, the quality literary source from Ludvík Aškenázy is undeniable, and the lyrical atmosphere of the film creates a contrast to today's uninspiring genre films. Overall impression: 50%. (30/05/2011)

Aškenazy's mosaic on the theme of the days of May 1945 fits boldly into the lyrical tendencies of Czech cinema, but the individual stories do not form such a tightly knit work that they could be considered a suggestive timeless gem. Childish acting full of naivety dominates the first part, which spills over into bleak adolescent emotions, which in turn only hint harshly at the raw miniature of a concentration camp prisoner. While I can appreciate the final folk farce on the tram through a set of previously popular actors in small roles, this one should be considered with the greatest caution because whenever a Czech tram driver is in Moscow, he will surely receive the same open arms as this Soviet in Prague. (01/08/2013)