Give the Devil His Due

Mon conte préféré, que je me fais un plaisir de regarder encore et encore. Quand j’étais petit, il m’est arrivé de le regarder quatre fois de suite quand j’étais malade, mon intérêt ne diminuant aucunement. (20/02/2008)

This Czech fairy tale is absolutely perfect. It is incredibly funny and full of memorable lines, which you can quote, and so when the men in the warehouse drop some of the boxes, the first thing I hear is, "You dropped something Machal, I think it is the wind," and I cannot help smiling. Karel Hermanek is the best ruler of hell I have ever seen in a fairy tale and other actors like Petr Narozny excel. This iconic movie has second place in my Top Ten because I rarely miss watching it when it is on. (02/04/2015)

Hynek Bočan is probably a Satanist in every way. How else do you explain such a sympathetic hell headed by the absolutely characterful Lucifer in the very crazy package of Karel Heřmánek? This story is moldy. If it weren't for the hideous Princess Adélka and her castrate chants, it wouldn't have a single mistake. It's got something naturalistic and non-fairytale in it, and yet it caresses like a wolf's tail. Moreover, it has truly top-notch choreography that will not get lost even next to something Pirates of the Caribbean (isn't Peter Koza responsible for it?). The characters besides the aforementioned grazed princess are one and the same, especially Janek, the devil with the rank of a crow and the choleric General Nárožný... Oh, and also the bark of Václav Vydra. He became more human. Just like this entire fairytale non-fairytale. (30/05/2005)

The highly successful attempt to rekindle the golden era of classic Czech film fairy tales, which utilizes the special position of the devilish household in our folk literature. Until then, fairy tales were filled with princesses, princes, and kings, but nobody dared to make one of the two heroes a devil, moreover with a positive character. A quality script, experienced direction, an uncut budget, thanks to which hell really looks hellish and the castle looks castle-like. The success was then guaranteed by the casting, which is so precise in terms of types that it's almost genius... Even great actors have shown themselves in small roles (Václav Vydra as an unsuccessful suitor). Overall impression: 95%. (30/12/2007)

Sure, it's immoral to make a pact with devils, but when you get a group of the most lovable guys led by the (literally) demonic Karel Heřmánek, it's not hard to agree to the rules of this fairy tale. Hynek Bočan directs with clarity, the set design is impressive (hell especially), the great special effects are effective, and the mood of the film is in a pleasantly light spirit, with the Czech acting elite delivering divine catchphrases, opening the way to the peak of Czech/Slovak fairy tale production. (26/11/2006)