gudaulin

I watched the film in the summer of 1989, just shortly before the fall of real socialism, and it was a significant cinematic experience for me at the time. The feeling of absurdity and stagnation was something I knew well from real life, having just graduated from high school and gained fresh experiences working in a factory marked by the system. Many scenes and dialogues fascinated me and stayed in my memory. I would say it is one of the greatest film experiences I've ever had, but I haven't seen the film since then, and with such a long time gap, I don't dare to place it in my top favorites. Noting the long time gap, my overall impression is 80%. The film accurately depicted the madness of the system.

This film caused quite a stir in the film world at the time and was successfully screened in dozens of countries. Karel Zeman became a renowned name in the film industry, and if he hadn't been working behind the Iron Curtain, he would likely have had a brilliant career, with the child actors becoming recognized stars. For its time, the special effects scenes with attractive depictions of prehistoric creatures were exceptionally well done, making the film still interesting today and a significant reminder of film history. However, the script, in retrospect, is rather flat, and the didactic intent is glaringly obvious. In many ways (exclusively male cast, scout ideals, a desire for adventure), the film is reminiscent of and likely intentionally follows Jaroslav Foglar's work. Overall impression: 70%.

The Jester's Tale may not have as prominent a story as Invention for Destruction and is not as artistically elaborate as The Fabulous Baron Munchausen, but I have a closer connection to it because it deals with a period I have always been more interested in, and it does so with the great sense of irony typical of Karel Zeman's work. It presents the Thirty Years' War to viewers with unmistakable irony. The opportunistic nobleman, who changes his lords as easily as the weather vane on his estate turns with the wind, has "Loyalty is my virtue" written on his shield. A mercenary changes his allegiance after his capture simply by changing his coat, and the instruction to a recruit about military spoils, which under no circumstances is considered theft - these and many other scenes have stayed with me and have contributed to my enduring enjoyment of The Jester's Tale. The strong cast, led by Petr Kostka and Miloslav Holub, also contributed to the film's success. Overall impression: 90%.

An incredible geyser of visual fantasy and unique artistic ideas combined with a top-notch cast led by Miloš Kopecký as Baron Munchausen. Excellent script, cinematography, editing - simply put, from my perspective, this film doesn't have a visible flaw even after decades. A tribute to the old master Georges Méliès. Overall impression: 90%.

I would say that this is one of the absolute highlights of rich Czech animated productions. It's a dark substance, appreciated more by those who are more mature and ideally by adults, but that's fine in the end because fairy tales in the original sense of the word meant stories mainly orally transmitted to adults. There is tension, courage, self-sacrifice, and a big dose of romance in it. This film fascinated me as a boy and I love coming back to it today. The artistic treatment is also amazing, and it is one of the peaks of classical flat animation. Overall impression: 100%. The Sorcerer's Apprentice is one of the rare cases where the film triumphs over the book. It has plenty of fantasy, but it also has a horror visual stylization that adds to its impact.