Romance for Bugle

Vávra plays on the poetic and the New Wave, but the result is rather awkward – you can't teach an old dog new tricks. But I can't deny the beautiful cinematography, as well as the great Jaromír Hanzlík, he was a distinctive type already in his early youth. (14/10/2013)

According to many, this is the best film by Otakar Vávra. But let's be fair, Vávra is somewhat of a concept and Hrubín, as the author of the poetic book, is an institution in himself. Even though I consider Romance for Bugle to be an above-average Czech film, it didn't evoke enough impressions in me to give it 4 stars. The plot is sparse and too poetic. Vávra made a bigger impression on me, for example, with Krakatit. The top-notch craftsmanship here cannot be denied, and the solid cast of actors as well. However, thematically, it is overused, as there are very few topics that appear as often as stories about immature unfulfilled love. It is worth thinking about what would have happened if, at the decisive moment, Vojta's sense of duty toward his own family hadn't kicked in and the two lovers had run away - to where exactly? How quickly would exaggerated expectations and romantic naive ideas dissolve, and how much would the down-to-earth reality of everyday life and the stereotype of a partnership hurt? Overall impression: 65%. (04/01/2014)

I'm not saying that in certain circles, at least to this day, the scenes with Miriam Kantorková don't still inspire awe, but Vávra was particularly fond of parallels with the living/dead. (16/03/2009)