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)
It is the second half of the 13th century. The widowed master of a yeoman's stronghold, Vlkov, marries young Lenora. His twelve-year old son from his first marriage, Ondřej, gives his future "mother" a basket as a wedding gift with bats hidden among white flowers. The father, blinded by fury, flings the boy against a wall. Kneeling over the bleeding limp body, he then prays to the Virgin Mary, begging for the boy's recovery and promising he would give Ondřej to her service. The recovered boy is then taken to the North, to a castle, which is a site of a powerful crusader's order, its members eschewing women as well as all other profane temptations. Ondřej is befriended by Armin von Heide, an ascetic and fanatic who exaggerates the abstention almost masochistically. Years pass and Ondřej has become an adult. In the time of fasting, the order knight Rotgier escapes from the castle and Armin pursues him with the other men. Ondřej runs into the refugee by accident and their rushed talk ignites desire for freedom in him as well. Although Rotgier is caught and killed by a pack of hounds, Ondřej, too, decides to run away. He reaches as far as to Vlkov stronghold, where the widowed Lenora lives. The two people become close and decide to marry. Armin, following Ondřej close upon his heels, sneaks around the stronghold and enters it on the very wedding day. Lenora does not want to chase the unknown guest away and even kisses him in a friendly manner. In the evening, the fanatical man invades Lenora's bedroom and cuts her throat. Ondřej lets him be worried to death by dogs and he penitently returns to the site of the order. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (9)
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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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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The Valley of the Bees is a deeply philosophical movie. It is also very oppressive and impersonal, suppressing all emotions and feelings that a film could arouse in the audience. The result is that The Valley of the Bees is a perfect, raw depiction of the Middle Ages, the likes of which would be hard to find in Czech cinematography. And even though it lacks emotions, it is definitely a film that you must not miss, because it will convince you that all kinds of things used to be shot in Czechoslovakia in the past. And they had success with the audience then, so why shouldn’t they be appreciated today?
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From my point of view, a more impressive and perhaps also more successful film than Marketa Lazarová - perhaps because The Valley of the Bees was not as hard to understand, its script is not in any way "cryptic" (the monologues and dialogues from the pen of Vladimír Körner are undeniable) and the actions of the characters are easy to read. Petr Čepek is absolutely amazing, Jan Kačer is literally demonic... However, the one that has grown closest to my heart is Josef Somr in a small but important role. Zdeněk Liška's music is as beautiful as ever, but there is no point in praising Vláčil's direction to the heavens, as it has been there for a long time. A one hundred percent film.
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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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Gallery (28)
Photo © Filmové studio Barrandov / Jan Kuděla
![The Valley of the Bees - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/157/842/157842158_f3bdea.jpg)
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