Why makes this film brilliant? I loved the story and the way it's told.
The history and current situation of the characters is revealed almost as an aside to the events on screen. This is a technique usually used to befuddle you in a who- dun-it, but it's used here to sensitively unfold a terrifically sad history weighing down unbearably on the present, while you're growing to understand Václav and his village from the silly situations he gets himself in to. This lets it be funny and fascinating.
Václav is a simpleton and the daft things he does are the skeleton of the film that everything hangs off. It would be easy for him to become a clown and the comedy to make situations unbelievable, but this doesn't happen. He and the other cast feel very real and believable, and their anger, acceptance, or delight at his idiocy fits with their relationship with him and reveals more about them.
This is exactly the kind of film I'd like to see a lot more of! It's wonderful telling of a wonderful story. I've given this 10 out of 10 as I see no reason not to.
PS – The main write up here is a little misleading. ***Very Slight Spoiler*** The synopsis suggests that the last few minutes of the film, which are a cathartic and satisfying resolution, make up a much larger portion of the screen time than they do.
The history and current situation of the characters is revealed almost as an aside to the events on screen. This is a technique usually used to befuddle you in a who- dun-it, but it's used here to sensitively unfold a terrifically sad history weighing down unbearably on the present, while you're growing to understand Václav and his village from the silly situations he gets himself in to. This lets it be funny and fascinating.
Václav is a simpleton and the daft things he does are the skeleton of the film that everything hangs off. It would be easy for him to become a clown and the comedy to make situations unbelievable, but this doesn't happen. He and the other cast feel very real and believable, and their anger, acceptance, or delight at his idiocy fits with their relationship with him and reveals more about them.
This is exactly the kind of film I'd like to see a lot more of! It's wonderful telling of a wonderful story. I've given this 10 out of 10 as I see no reason not to.
PS – The main write up here is a little misleading. ***Very Slight Spoiler*** The synopsis suggests that the last few minutes of the film, which are a cathartic and satisfying resolution, make up a much larger portion of the screen time than they do.