Regie:
Jiří KrejčíkKamera:
Jaroslav TuzarMusik:
Zdeněk LiškaBesetzung:
František Smolík, Jana Brechova, Ivan Mistrík, Jan Šmíd, Alexandr Postler st., Petr Kostka, Radovan Lukavský, Václav Lohniský, Marie Lukášová (mehr)Inhalte(1)
Ein psychologisches Drama aus der Zeit der deutschen Okkupation der Tschechoslowakei. Nach dem Attentat auf den SS-Obergruppenführer und stellvertretenden Reichsprotektor von Böhmen und Mähren, Reinhard Heydrich, am 27. Mai 1942 in Prag, terrorisieren die deutschen Besatzer die tschechische Bevölkerung. In einer kleinen Provinzstadt bereiten sich die Primaner eines klassischen Gymnasiums auf das Abitur vor. Drei Schüler werden wegen eines harmlosen Scherzes standrechtlich erschossen. Der alte Lateinlehrer, genannt "Das Höhere Prinzip", stellt sich gegen die Deutschen. (Ostalgica)
(mehr)Kritiken (6)
The war atmosphere is excellently portrayed, and it doesn't even have to involve bloody massacres or other violent scenes. The actors give decent performances, and of course, František Smolík stood out the most to me. The beginning is a bit chaotic, as too many characters are introduced, and it takes a good half an hour for the viewer to sort out who is who. In stronger scenes, it occasionally stutters a bit with overly forced acting, but that is quite common in older films. There is also a moral message and a gripping conclusion. The camera's close-ups and zooms into faces are surprisingly effective and worth noting.
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Eine starke Geschichte, die schrittweise gradiert und zu einem starken Finale hinstrebt. Etwas stört mich die Figur des František Smolík, ich weiß nicht, ob ich dazu tendieren soll, dass sie perfekt oder blöd gespielt wurde. Jana Brejchová vergießt zu viel Tränen, hervorragend sind vor allem Ivan Mistrík und Radoslav Lukavský. Václav Lohniský ist nicht nur als Gevatter Tod, sondern auch als Deutschlehrer abstoßend.
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Phenomenal! The brutal consequences of the Heydrichiad, confronted with the easy naivety of the graduating class, have never been more palpable in cinema. The fear of ordinary people to let a single bad word out of their mouths, dear citizens who bend over backward, and those who, even in their most difficult moments, have maintained their equality with themselves. A perfect cinematic epitaph to all those who fell victim to one of the most vicious acts of revenge ever carried out.
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Higher Principle may not be the best Czechoslovak film, but it is inscribed in history with an undeniably immortal font. In terms of the screenplay, it may not be perfect, and at times it can be slightly overacted. But it contains an idea that has bridged decades and a value that still moves the viewer. A deeply human value, imprinted in the film at a time when this phrase was not profaned by its use in every other average domestic comedy. And it is precisely this honesty and innocence that brings tears to one's eyes in the very pointed conclusion.
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It may be a coincidence, but just yesterday I mentioned in my review that Kolya was my opinion one of the three best Czech films, but in the evening I watched this amazing masterpiece, and suddenly Svěrák and co. are relegated to the fourth place. This is a superb film, a perfect mosaic made of the oppressive atmosphere of the time and the suffering of innocents depicted in such an impressive and depressing way that only Schindler's List has evoked similar emotions in me. And last but not least, there are the amazing performances, led by the terrified look of František Smolík, who interpreted the statement "Die Sache ist erledigt" with a completely opposite meaning – correct, but unfortunately opposite. A gem of not only Czech but also world cinema!
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I finally got to this Czechoslovakian treasure, and is really very little to fault it for. It’s an excellent film that not only has great acting performances, but also an excellent story based on a literary novel. Krejčík’s direction is extremely confident, but it is František Smolík and Jana Brejchová who are absolutely stunning.
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