Plots(1)
A stylized portrait of an authentic Czech neo-Nazi, who hates his life but doesn't know what to change. Corrosively absurd and starkly chilling in equal measure, this tragicomedy investigates the radical worldview of "decent, ordinary people." And just when it seems that its message can't get any more urgent, the film culminates in a totally uncompromising way. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)
(more)Reviews (7)
A social horror movie? A perverse sci-fi flick? No, just reality. From Prostějov, Czech Republic. The White World is hard
on the mind and on the stomach.
()
52nd KVIFF – I am not sure if Vít Klusák made this documentary so that he could poke fun at Daliborek or, as he claimed, so that he could confront him with reality. Daliborek actually isn’t bad, he only deduced a couple of his own truths and didn’t manage to realize that those truths of his could be, in reality, diametrically different. And thus, it’s hard to convince a person who thinks they found the greatest truth of all even though they are completely spinning the facts that are commonplace nowadays. The trip to Auschwitz and the confrontation with the lady who survived Auschwitz, are, by the way, the director’s masterpieces. However, I return to Mr. Klusák and my final impression, of which I am not sure if it is good or bad. The fact that this documentary looks more like a movie convinces me of the negative. I have a feeling that, if not everything, then at least most of it is only acted out for the sake of the cameras. And it fascinates me that apart from Daliborek, the whole family took part in this game. On the other hand, I laughed and also got horrified. I laughed because Daliborek had, at times, genius catchphrases, and got horrified at how dumb some people around us can be. However, it isn’t only Daliborek, there are loads of people like him around us. It isn’t only about stubbornness but also about the narrow-mindedness of each of us that needs to be suppressed. Nevertheless, the documentary fascinated me and became the highlight of the whole festival. Maybe it will make Dalibor and the people around him think if nothing else.
()
Vít Klusák made his method something I would call a "lazy and cowardly docu-arrangement". Choose an antisocial whose manifestations are on the verge of mild mental retardation, let him replay (I can't shake the impression that Daliborek is playing himself poorly) episodes that feel like Extreme Family type exploitations (but without admitted ridicule through voice over), create a panopticon saying nothing, etc. I just don't think it's anything bold, revealing and provocative. As a result, The White World According to Daliborek reveals nothing but an annoying exhibition of a bald mama's boy. I would probably forget about it. I've wasted my time with worse bullshit. But the arranged Auschwitz ZOO with the director's moral stepping out in front of the camera... that’s an insurmountable mistake to me. Klusák directs the weak-hearted idiot for an hour and a half, so that in the end he can give him a moral slap and thus cancel the last hint that this documentary has some concept and observational value. It doesn't. It is a weak conglomeration of meaningless nonsense and excesses that does not function either as a character study or as a documentary about the radical thinking of ordinary people. That the audience laughs amusedly and arrogantly speaks much more about the level of society-wide debate than about the qualities of the documentary. For the first time ever, I am reporting Klusák's fail. And it really is colossal.
()
It is completely unnecessary to devote a full-length documentary to this topic. The theme in the form this simple simpleton from Prostějov culminates in the simple message that the one who spews hateful nonsense is in fact the harmless immature son of a naive mother. Once again, Klusák works only with empty phrases and (unintentional?) grotesqueness. Why confront a so-called neo-Nazi with the facts and pay any attention to him? This kind of person is indeed an annoying insect, but in fact only harms itself. His life is going nowhere, but he also doesn't vote, doesn't participate in demonstrations, and simply survives on his delusions and mistakes. We have more interesting and serious phenomena in society than this. The first ladies of our documentary filmmaking are able to create stories and statements in their films that have value. If Klusák shares this ambition, he hasn't been working on it for at least the last decade. Unfortunate.
()
An opportunistic exploitation that consciously pretends to be a serious documentary. Although several interesting and burning topics of reflection are provided by The White World According to Daliborek, any message is undermined by its choice of creative approach which turns the movie into a made-up joke—a non-funny joke. It lies somewhere in between Cops and Wife Swap, so for me, watching this movie was a real torture. As for the fabricated ending, in which the director heroically throws himself into a self-staged clash, we’ve reached a new low in terms of creativity.
()
This is not a documentary commenting on the neo-Nazi community in general through the character of Dalibor; Dalibor is far too unique for that, so neither the neo-Nazis nor anyone else is likely to identify with him and his views. It is easy to laugh at Dalibor and his deeds, but there is also a lot of sympathy and perhaps pity in that laughter, and it is not possible to point a finger at him and call him a Nazi xenophobic asshole that deserves to be beat up. In addition to Dalibor's hateful and racist slogans and his off-the-wall video production, the film also reveals a lot of information from his private life, pointing out what this film is largely really about - people with problems and internally-unhappy people who are not satisfied with their lives, with their work and with what they have in their lives. However, they desperately want to belong somewhere, meaning they do not hesitate to join groups with somewhat more extreme views. These are opinions they usually obtained from "alternative" online media and from other, like-minded individuals, existentially dependent on television and social networks as the only available form of entertainment. There are probably a lot of these people in Czech and Slovak societies, it’s just that Dalibor stands out so much among them that thanks to him, watching this film is not only an exceptional insight into a certain area of society, but at the same time it’s sometimes outrageous fun. Every scene is a gem - but they also bring shivers down your spine.
()
I definitely wasn’t amazed by The White World According to Daliborek, but I have to admit that it's definitely an interesting look at one man and his family. You can see that it's very easy to be dysfunctional and still function. That is an amazing paradox. You can also see how people can adopt opinions and consider them the truth, yet in the end, you still get the feeling that it's just posturing.
()
Ads