Directed by:
Jindřich PolákCinematography:
Jan KališComposer:
Zdeněk LiškaCast:
Zdeněk Štěpánek, Radovan Lukavský, Dana Medřická, Miroslav Macháček, František Smolík, Jiří Vršťala, Svatava Hubeňáková, Otto Lackovič, Jaroslav Mareš (more)Plots(1)
Adapted from Stanislaw Lem's novel "The Magellanic Cloud", the film is set in 2163 and follows a mission deep into space in search of alien life. During their perilous journey the crew confront the effects of a malignant dark star, the destructive legacy of the 20th century and, ultimately, the limits of their own sanity. With outstanding design and cinematography, Ikarie XB 1 is imbued with a seriousness, intelligence and attention to detail rarely seen in science-fiction cinema of the period. (Second Run)
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Reviews (3)
Although there are a few jokes in the script of Voyage to the End of the Universe, it is still a serious-minded and above all successful sci-fi film, i.e., an unrepeated event in Czech cinema. The chilling scene with the discovery of the ship and its exploration is clearly the best, but the ending doesn't lag behind it in any way. Jindřich Polák was a great visionary who made Czech films in a world style. The impressiveness of Voyage is also helped by Liška's music and especially by the actresses and actors.
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In its time, it was world-class smart sci-fi, with decent special effects and spiced up with Czech A-list actors. What impresses more than the quiet plot is the meticulous camera work and its relationship to the surrounding enclosed environment, which in many ways evokes the more recent Space Odyssey and a much purer genre work than many of its successors. A little more pessimism and suspense would have been nice, but there's still plenty to look at, the degradation of ageing threatens Icarus XB 1 and its sympathetic crew only minimally. 75%
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A beautiful example that in history, we have absolutely great sci-fi films that are definitely worthy of attention. It's not just nonsense meant for entertainment; there are also quite profound films that can inspire even fans of old-school sci-fi. I first heard of Voyage to the End of the Universe as a cult film. That’s quite an accurate assessment. Excellent actors, excellent psychology, and superbly handled set designs.
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