Assis sur ma branche, je suis bien

Originally, I had a completely different review of this film, brimming with excitement and terms such as magical realism and the Slovak Fellini. But as time goes by, one reevaluates their opinions, perhaps because they've seen more and also because, with increasing years, a more critical spirit manifests itself in me. Juraj Jakubisko is a director whose reviews are consistently getting worse, to the point where, from my perspective, I consider him the director of only two films made in the early and late 80s. These films are The Millennial Bee, which I still highly value, and the second is this film. However, I have to lower my rating by two stars, even though it's more like 3 and a half stars. Due to the high rating it has on FilmBooster, I simply rounded it down. Jakubisko is primarily hampered by the choice of actors because unfortunately, Markéta Hrubešová does not even provide average acting, and here she functions more as a typecast actress, simply a charming redhead with the necessary curves. Bolek Polívka belongs to the same category of comedians as, let's say, Vlasta Burian and such a force is difficult to control, as it is difficult to work with him, and he tends to create figures and caricatures where multifaceted acting is needed. I also don't understand why Jakubisko has a high number of Czech actors in his cast, because the Slovak scene could have offered him plenty of great characters. It is also disappointing that there are a number of minor flaws, such as shots of ripe fields of wheat when, according to the timeline, it was supposed to be spring, or when the character of Deana Horváthová enthusiastically talks about preparing for monetary reform, which could be compared to treason because it was one of the most guarded state secrets, and so on. Jakubisko's usual tricks, such as the flying angel over the settlement, no longer work on me. The character of the young Stalinist is caricatured to such an extent that it loses its repellent aspect. On the other hand, despite all the reservations mentioned, in this film, Jakubisko's poetics still work very well, and I will definitely return to his protagonists in the future. Overall impression: 65%. (29/01/2017)

I don't understand why it took me so long to find out how good of a film this is. However, I have realized it, and after several attempts, Jakubisko's story worked perfectly. If I disregard the special artificiality of the soundtrack (apparently created post-synchronously) and Markéta Hrubešová, who is played by her Slavic character, Sitting on a Branch, Enjoying Myself is a brilliant and compositionally tuned message about several destinies on the screen of a stormy time. Without unnecessary pomp, Jakubisko is able to portray the terrifying paradoxes of Stalinism with a mere hint, but also to present the fates of heroes with all the civility and tragedy of everyday life. It is reminiscent of Nikita Michalkov's Burnt by the Sun - there, too the calm personal plane contrasts sharply with the tumultuous machinery of the time. Jakubisko made a moving, believable and tragic (in the best sense of the word) film. (28/10/2007)