Directed by:
Petr JáklCinematography:
Jesper TøffnerComposer:
Philip KleinCast:
Ben Foster, Sophie Lowe, Michael Caine, Til Schweiger, Matthew Goode, William Moseley, Roland Møller, Karel Roden, Werner Daehn, Kevin Bernhardt (more)VOD (1)
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Set in 14th Century Prague, the Holy Roman Empire is plummeting into chaos after the death of its reigning emperor while brothers King Wencelas of Czech and King Sigismund of Hungary battle for control of the empty throne. Handsome, righteous mercenary leader Jan Zizka is hired by Lord Boresh to kidnap the powerful Lord Rosenberg’s fiancée, Katherine, in an attempt to prevent Rosenberg’s rise to power alongside Sigismund and ultimately foil Sigismund’s plot to take the crown. As Katherine becomes caught in a dangerous political game between sides, Jan falls in love with her. Turning against his own religious and political faith, Jan fights back with a rebel army in an attempt to save Katherine and battle against the corruption, greed and betrayal rampant amongst those clawing for power. (The Avenue Entertainment)
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The fact that Jan Žižka doesn't come across as unintentionally funny at any point, as I was a little afraid it would, can be considered a small victory. Production-wise, the film is solid, but it fundamentally fails in its narrative. I just couldn't get into the story. It's opaque both at the level of the dramatic arc of political scheming and at the level of individual scenes, where it would help to understand the who and the where, but we can’t. What works well, though, are the brutality sequences. It could have been a solid 80-minute dirty medieval carnage, but when there were ambitions for a bigger Hollywood movie, alas. By the way, I don't really understand why someone makes a film called Jan Žižka and choose a period in Žižka's life that nobody knows anything about, so the plot is completely fabricated. I'm not criticizing it in the sense that I'm projecting it into my rating, I just don't get it.
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Jakl really needed the help of renowned historians for this action-packed tale of running around in the woods? Well, fuck me Žižka! It looks as dull as the American The Pagan Queen did 14 years ago. There are basically only four alternating locations: a forest, the chapel with Sigismund, a cave and the quarry of Great America, and the one (!!!) nice visual effect shot in the whole film (the arrival of Boreš in medieval Prague) doesn't save the overall cheapness of it all. I used to think that Jakl is at least a skilled producer who can generate bags of gold, but I'm starting to doubt that too. Ironically, I'll add that his highlight so far is the blood-curdling screaming in Pterodactyl, where at least he was fun. PS: Fuk can't be taken seriously anymore, he's getting more and more ridiculous.
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The whole acting ensemble has strong potential. Ben Foster is perfect as Jan Žižka; each of his looks and statements has spirit and balls. The emotions and the simple yet sufficiently dramatic and action-packed story also work well. The film’s harshness and high level of testosterone are surprising, and the high-quality instrumental soundtrack is pleasing. However, the film is dragged down to the level of mediocrity by its directing, which in some scenes is reminiscent of cheap TV trash. For example, in the scene involving the kidnapping of the fiancée, utter cluelessness is on display in terms editing and clarity of what is happening and how. And there are several similar moments in the film. I applaud Petr Jákl for having the balls and ambition to fulfil his boyish dreams, but even he must see that sticking with producing and entrusting the directing to, say, Ron Howard would have had a different result.
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I might be one of the few who gave this film five stars, but I have my reasons. Sure, the story was a bit confusing at first. It took some effort to figure out the medieval power plays and motivations. And yes, the action scenes were chaotic, and it was hard to tell who was winning at times. There are also historical inaccuracies, but considering a respected historian worked on the film, and given the scant details from that era, I'm willing to overlook them. Why? Because Petr Jákl has crafted a compelling story about one of the most important figures in Czech history. The gritty medieval atmosphere is fantastic, and the score, featuring multiple renditions of "Ktož jsú boží bojovníci," is stunning. Shot in a Hollywood style with a strong international cast, everyone delivers excellent performances. Ben Foster as Jan Žižka and Sophie Lowe as Katherine were particularly impressive. Filmed in the beautiful Czech landscape with its historic castles, the movie showcases our country to the world. It's fulfilling to see Czech medieval history brought to life in a way that makes it accessible and intriguing to a global audience. Jákl's effort to sell this film to America is a rare feat, making Medieval a unique accomplishment unlikely to be repeated soon. This film doesn't just tell an important story; it serves Czech heritage on a global stage. For all these reasons, I gave it five stars. It narrates a great tale from our past and does a tremendous service to the Czech national pride. I hope people enjoy it and learn more about the era instead of nitpicking. This film deserves appreciation, not unfounded criticism.
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Medieval, dark, violent, brutal CARNAGE!!! If you're well-read, bookish, superior to everyone else, and a critic, you will not enjoy this film. Everyone else can look forward to proper and uncompromising medieval carnage, which has little competition in this respect even in the world. It's one of those movies that critics will hate and normal people will love. The story isn't the strongest point and I'm glad that Jakl didn't serve up a historical drama but concentrated on action, atmosphere, violence and nature. There is a lot of effort to please Hollywood and I understand and respect that completely. If there were 20 such films a year coming out in the Czech Republic, I could understand the local bitterness, but the first film of its kind made in this country, which we finally don't have to be ashamed of in the world, certainly doesn't deserve the kind of dirt that is being heaped on it. Personally, if I meet Mr. Jakl on the street, I will shake his hand and say that he is amazing for what he has done and I respect him greatly. I appreciate very much that he chose the most attractive settings in our region to show the whole world how beautiful our nature is. (the Adrpašské rocks, the Velká Amerika quarry, Czech Switzerland, Prague and many of our castles, deep oak forests and lakes); nature lovers will be squirming in their seat with delight. The casting is good too, with Ben Foster as Žižka being a likeable character and I trusted the lead just fine, but Roland Møller wins here. I personally stand by my opinion that a great villain is more important than the protagonist, and in this case Jakl couldn't have picked anyone better than Møller. The guy was born for villain roles (I wouldn't be surprised if he's a bastard in real life too, because he has the chops for it), his previous films R, Northwest, Papillon, Land of Mine, are exemplary proof. He's steals every scene, he commands respect, he's evil and you wish him dead. I also enjoyed Matthew Goode, who played a sleazy snake, Sophie Lowe as the only female character, but she's a wonderful, strong female character who also cares about emotions, and Michael Caine can put a smile on your face even in a small space. The Czech actors don't have as much space, you could say they are rather cameos. I liked that Jan Žižka was aptly portrayed as a dude through intrigue and subterfuge (the great combat strategy and battle tactics work nicely). I also liked the cinematography and the atmosphere of the time is captured very believably. It's dirty, brutal, uncompromising, raw and very naturalistic (even the tits!). It’s reminiscent of a recent Northman. The gore is of a very high standard with severed heads and limbs, slit throats, blood splashing in all directions, especially on me, so that the euphoria reaches a climax. I screamed in delight at the lion scene, it was such carnage that I immediately thought of the tiger from Army of the Dead. Hats off, that was one hell of an epic scene. I was also pleased with the wonderfully epic battle during the action scenes, which fit perfectly and added to the tension. How historically accurate the film is I have no idea, and only idiots can complain about itit, but I had a great time. 8.5/10
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