Intimate Lighting Reviews

a gently humourous look at life in 60s Czechslovakia

Nothing much happens in this film - a musician and his girlfriend from the city go to visit an old friend in the country. They play music, go to a funeral and get drunk. But it makes for an agreeable 70 minutes if you're not looking for action. There's bickering between father and son, bored and ignored girlfriend looking for some kind of action and an affectionate but not sentimental look at 'crowded' family life. It's more a two and a half stars.

Not one for you if you can't handle sub-titles, black and white, slowness or classical music.

71 minutes of joy.

This is an excellent, charming, subtle film, with plenty to reward the viewer who has eyes and ears open. In the interview with the director, he suggests that watching the film could be like going round your relatives for Sunday dinner. Remember what a laugh that used to be? Come on, get it on your list. A wonderful film.

Disappointing

An over-rated film. The 'humour' is at best obscure, and maybe isn't there at all. The dialogue often doesn't make sense - the best thing that can be said is that it's over fairly quickly, before you fall asleep!

Great Cinema`

A cool, calm and collective film. Great Czech new wave example.

[Highly rated reviewer]

View from the inside

A very convincing black and white picture of rural Czech life in the mid 1960s, seen through the eyes of musician Petr who is home to play as a soloist in a concert with the local orchestra. Meeting up with his old friend Bambas, they explore, relive their friendship and their misspent youth. Stepa, Petr’s girlfriend, very obviously from the city, sees everything through different eyes, and the film manages to convey a great deal of feeling and emotions. The interview with director Ivan Passer is also interesting and sets the film beautifully in the context of Czech politics.

A film to watch again and again

I have watched this film many times, and will keep coming back to it. Maybe I now have a subtly different perception of it, in that it played a part in attracting me continuously to the area in which it was filmed.

Recently I showed it to a group of friends all who regard 'foreign stuff' as something to be avoided at all cost. They were totally won over by the truth of its gentle charm. On the surface an extremely simple film but with many hidden depths.

[Highly rated reviewer]

a film that will stroke your soul

This is an immensely enjoyable film. It describes the village folk of central Europe so well - as the people who like to stare and laugh, who shout and bicker non stop, who like to eat and drink and marvel at the life passing by. Passer who worked previously with Forman on his films handles the non-actors with a great skill and what he gets out of them are beautiful performances filled with a huge amount of melancholy. If you like subtle humour and poetry in films, this one is definitely one for you. If you are looking for straight narrative and lots of action, avoid it.

... and watch the interview with the director - it gives some great insight into the film making in the 60s communist Czechoslovakia.

hummm....

I would need to view this film again in about 20 years or so before making a fair review, for now I recommend this film to any one who likes black and white films.