The Karamazovs

I could paraphrase my review on Country Teacher and write something like this: “Now try telling me that European cinema is dead." But I won’t waste time repeating that and so absolutely uncritically (and anything goes, according to Dostoyevsky) I write that, together with Tornatore’s The Unknown Woman, The Brothers Karamazov is the best movie to come out of the continent of Europe this millennium. As a result, this may well seem to many viewers just like a two-hour commercial for Dejvice Theatre (which is an accusation hard to argue with), but unlike the commercial for the Kalich Theatre (that’s right, Kvaska), this is a demonstration to the world of how skillful and talented Prague’s best theatre is right now. And it’s that simple. Believe if or not, or you can try not agreeing. Long live Dejvice! And many more movies from them! (2008-06-22)

So I have to admit that I would quite enjoy this theater. Petr Zelenka was given great actors to work with, which was beautifully reflected in the way they handled the whole film. The very form is the ornament of this film, which is essentially nothing more than a theatrical play in unexpected exteriors of a non-functioning factory. Strong, intimate, and beautiful theatre. (2015-12-07)

This theatrical film has earned the so-called obligatory respect. It was made by the popular Zelenka, it paid tribute to the popular Schorm, it was made with the darlings of the Dejvice theater, and somewhere in the lower layers Dostoyevsky is as learned as a poem. It is therefore impossible not to like it. Simply impossible. No chance in hell. (2021-02-13)

In the non-violent storylines of the actors, both the plot and the characters interested me, but since the ensemble delves into their roles and only occasionally pops up to discuss the unfortunate janitor or the unsympathetic director in a few sentences, everything is wrong. What's the point of delving into Russian classics when it's just superficial? Petr Zelenka wanted to shoot an experiment with his friends, but I would avoid this. The final scene, which is only present so the film has some ending, might even have pissed me off. The second star is more or less just because it would have been a shame not to give credit to the acting performances beyond the limits of what is possible. (2012-04-10)

The Czech film industry has been struggling for a long time, and its prospects are not rosy. I generally avoid it to prevent disappointment. But to avoid being accused of a lack of patriotism, I tried to choose a title to give a high rating to. The Karamazov Brothers fulfilled that condition, although I must say honestly that the stars are earned more by the classic Dostoevsky and the actors from the Dejvice Theatre than by the director and screenwriter. The adaptation of Dostoevsky, projecting his philosophy into the present day through the family tragedy of a Polish worker, didn't quite succeed, or rather it went beyond the scope of questions raised in his play. As for the actors - and that is the main focus of The Karamazov Brothers - they are a reliable support for the project, and it is regrettable in the case of this generation of actors how limited of a space contemporary Czech cinema offers them. Successful actors from the First Republic or the nationalized film industry were able to encompass hundreds of titles in their filmography, often with remarkable audience and critical responses. The actors from The Karamazov Brothers can only dream of that today... Overall impression: 90%. (2013-02-13)