472. Marketa Lazarova (1967)

Running Time: 162 minutes
Directed By: Frantisek Vlacil
Written By: Frantisek Pavlicek, Frantisek Vlacil, from novel by Vladislav Vancura
Main Cast: Magda Vasaryova, Josef Kemr, Nad'a Hejna, Zdenek Kryzanek, Jaroslav Moucka

AND THEN THERE WERE FIFTY...

Just fifty movies left. Let's not harp on it, shall we? We still have miles to go before we sleep...

No, Instead let's just jump right into this, so that I can get it wrapped up, so that I can get on with my life. Marketa Lazarova is one of those movies that if I'd watched it within the first fifty, instead of within ear shot of the final fifty, I'd have probably thrown in the towel and said "screw it". In checking this movie off the various sites I use (IMDB, icheck, etc.), I noticed a few comments that exclaimed that, while they loved it, a lot of people "just didn't get it". I will say, that the movie is confusing and if the people that actually liked it didn't understand what the hell was going on, then you know someone who didn't like it, didn't have a clue - that's where I come in.

Boy, this was just plain tough to get through. As Ray would say, this is definitely "one to get through", instead of one to enjoy. You know what though, I'll take the blame on this, because I had washed my hands of Marketa Lazarova within the first ten minutes and really just spent the next two and a half hours "earning my tick" (another Ray-ism).

So instead of writing a proper review, with a plot synopsis and detailed thoughts, let's just do this: I can't give you plot details, cause frankly, I haven't a clue what the hell I just got through watching. Because I was so confused as to the plot, I'd have a hard time going over in depth analysis and opinions, so let's just say it wasn't for me, I hated it, I was just earning my 951st notch, etc. - pick one. No, instead, let me TRY my best to tell you what I DID like. We'll call this a personal challenge.

*The cinematography was pretty brilliant. It's hard to make  the decision to give up on a movie, five minutes after a stunning opening, that featured a pack of wild dogs running across a flat, snow covered ground. Such a gorgeous shot and with that shot, I hoped I'd be in for a treat. I wasn't. It made me realize just how gorgeous black & white can be and it also made me realize I love snow covered settings, as they almost always turn out beautiful. There was definitely a skilled cinematographer on board here, it's just a shame the rest of the film wasn't on his level.

And really, I can't think of any other positives....I tried.

RATING: 1/10  Yeah, despite good cinematography, I just can't get this past the low point. So we go from a '10' to a '1' in one move. Is that a first in blog history?

MOVIES WATCHED: 951
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 50

August 15, 2015  5:09pm