Directed by:
Marek NajbrtCinematography:
Miloslav HolmanComposer:
Midi LidiCast:
Jana Plodková, Marek Daniel, Richard Stanke, Jiří Ornest, Klára Melíšková, Tomáš Měcháček, Sandra Nováková, Martin Myšička, Simon Schwarz, Josef Polášek (more)Plots(1)
Emil Vrbata, a radio host, is in love with his wife Hana, pursuing together a life they enjoy. It's Prague 1939. Then comes war, and with it German occupation. To survive and protect his wife Emil chooses to collaborate. Ultimately that threatens to destroy the very thing he’s trying to protect: Hana. In dark times, a man can become a hero even if it’s the last thing he wants to do. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (11)
I have been complaining for a long time that Czech cinema has been avoiding letting skeletons out of the closet of local history, while our German neighbors have been tackling one historical blot after another. Plus, they almost always do this in an unforgettable way. And so I am really extremely grateful that somebody here has tried at last. That it remained just an attempt is another matter... It was clearly lacking any dramatic tension. Tension that was present in The Ear. Cut deep and not just skate about on the surface. Even so, this is a sufficiently high quality picture (the scenes with the bicycles, the scenes with the photo-shoot!) that withstands, despite its shortcomings. P.S.: The poster only makes sense with the opening line, which, while being original, I would say is a little counterproductive. And also I wonder whether the similarity of the story with the fates of Čeněk Šlégl was merely incidental or not. ()
Finally, a film that attempts to come to terms with the past in a fairly ordinary way. This gray film, where it seems like joy is missing, managed to achieve what The Butcher of Prague failed to. It's as if color isn't present here, plus there are excellent details that the film focuses on, enhancing the era, place, and events. One ordinary bike and what it can do. From time to time, interesting filmmaking techniques are used, which only make the film more intriguing in that it is a piece that can seriously grasp the past in a different, yet not bad, way. ()
I can't say that I didn't like the movie outright, but I also can't say that I was enthusiastic about it in any way. In my opinion, it is a purely average film, and, due to the lack of funds and perhaps even the filmmaker's creativity, it feels more like a TV film. The theme of the Protectorate and the motive of the Jewish genocide contribute to this, but these concepts have been used many times in the past, and often better. All that is left for me is to sigh - if this is one of the most acclaimed post-November films and according to many enthusiastic comments even one of the peaks, then the state of Czech cinema is even more serious than I thought. Jana Plodková is interesting and unfamiliar, and her stylization of the character of a First Republic film star is quite convincing, but that is not enough for a great film experience. Overall impression: 60%. ()
I’d give it 7/10, but I don’t feel at all like rounding up this time. Visually, this is an exceptionally beautiful film, the performances are flawless and so is the direction, but it lacks pace in a terrible way. Yes, it’s boring! I liked Normal a lot more than this tarted-up romance, and I’m also not really sure what it is (primarily) about… ()
Proof that excuses for anything are just the alibis of filmmakers who won't admit their own inability to make a good film. Protector is European filmmaking in every sense. After it was over I was still staring silently for half an hour, searching for words. It’s one of those films that fascinates you while you're watching it, but you can't easily go back to it for its emotional impact. ()
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