Directed by:
František VláčilCinematography:
František UldrichComposer:
Zdeněk LiškaCast:
Petr Čepek, Jan Kačer, Věra Galatíková, Zdeněk Sedláček, Zdeněk Kryzánek, Jana Hájková, Michal Kožuch, Ladislav Gzela, Petr Štěpánek, Josef Somr, Miloš Willig (more)Plots(1)
Set in 13th-century Europe, František Vláčil's visionary medieval epic chronicles the tale of a young boy forced to join the Order of the Teutonic Knights. Years later he abandons the Crusaders, only to be pursued by a fanatical comrade and pay a terrible price for his rejection of the Holy Order. With dazzling monochrome cinematography and vivid recreation of the period, The Valley of the Bees is a raw and haunting moral fable about the conflict between human nature and dogmatism - and just as powerful and engrossing a film as his more famous work, Marketa Lazarová. (Second Run)
(more)Reviews (9)
A film considered one of the best Czech films ever made. When I was watching it, I felt like I was watching Bergman. Slow but intensely gripping, with incredible acting performances that only enhance the power of the overall experience. It's one of those must-see films. It might leave you cold, and you might say it's for intellectuals, but still, somewhere deep down, you'll feel that it did something to you.
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A cinematic delicacy that emerged as a side product and poorer sibling of Markéta Lazarová. The plot is fundamentally very simple, yet it is filmed poetically and rawly, making for an extraordinarily evocative cinematic experience with perfectly tailored music, excellent cinematography, and stellar performances by Petr Čepek and Jan Kačer. In this film, the saying "there are no small roles" holds true. I assert that if it were made in color, The Valley of the Bees would be half as impactful; the black-and-white material contributes significantly to the ballad-like atmosphere of the story. Overall impression: 95%.
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Much easier to grasp in terms of content than the poetic Markéta Lazarová, but at the same time less interesting and expressive. Many passages are too cold and emotionally empty, which may have been the intention given Vláčil's approach to the dark Middle Ages, but this time boredom creeps in more, its deadly effects countered primarily by the beautiful authentic music by master Liška. Fortunately, there’s the cast led by the amazing Čepek, chilling and raw sets, great costumes and a strong story that always manages to evoke exactly the right feelings. It's a pity that the script runs out of breath in the middle (though, fortunately, it gets it back by the end). 75%
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“My father promised me to the Order. To save his soul." If it weren’t for Herz’s year younger The Cremator, The Valley of the Bees would sit on the imaginary throne of Czechoslovak cinema. This way it is doomed to second place, but what can you do... And that shows amongst other things that I belong to the “barbarian riffraff" who consider this, Vláčil’s picture to be better than Marketa Lazarová (which is a bit of a paradox since The Valley of the Bees was only made to make use of the costumes and scenery left behind after it). The Bergmanesque proportions, the indescribably splendid camerawork (I will probably never get bored of the shot at the end with Ondřej disappearing into the darkness) and Liška’s score make watching this a wonderful experience for the mind, eyes and ears. And the actors are absolutely... We don’t see Petr Čepek on screen, but Ondřej of Vlkov. Nor do we see Jan Kačer (who currently stars in an awful Czech telenovela), but purely and simply Armin von Heide. The same applies for the others. OK? OK!
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A very precise and raw (often even brutal) film, visually enhanced by black and white cinematography and an authentic medieval setting. The acting performances of the main characters were convincing and the music by Zdeněk Liška complemented the powerful visuals perfectly. How far are we actually willing to go for what we believe in?
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