State Secret

Third fifty-cent story in a row, and even though it was the oldest film of the trio, it was clearly the best for me. It was not a typical chamber affair like in the previous two cases, this was already a full-fledged film with an almost Orwellian story, very good casting, and a distinct Czech (or rather Czechoslovak) imprint. The totalitarian state was naturally located in Eastern Europe, as even current events confirm such a choice. However, I am quite scared that many methods pointed out by George Orwell are increasingly used west of our borders, and have brutally flourished across the Atlantic in a country that considers itself the cradle of democracy and freedom. Well, nowadays books are commonly banned in this cradle, the presumption of innocence has essentially ceased to exist, and I wouldn't be surprised if soon borders started burning under the prints of visionary book 1984. But I have shifted immensely from the movie, which had its cult character with a cheesy name, Colonel Galcon, who surely fell asleep with Machiavelli's Prince on his bedside table, a desperate surgeon, and a lady in distress. For me, it was an interesting encounter with an adventurous film about a totalitarian state, which did not lack hidden humor at first sight, and in which Herbert Lom could show that he was indeed a great actor. Karel Štěpánek's role was still less prominent. Well, I was entertained, there is no doubt about that, I did not expect it, so I will give this nostalgic piece a rating of four surprised five-pointed stars. / Lesson: Think very carefully about tempting offers from police states. (27/06/2024)