Heave Ho!

When it was made, the film was received by Czech film critics with undisguised enthusiasm, seeing in it a breath of fresh air, and even a touch of worldliness, in an otherwise stale Czechoslovak film scene. Let's face it, compared to all those silly Czech films with their happiness and sadness, this can definitely be considered an Oscar-worthy affair, although unfortunately, it's more like a one-eyed king among the blind. The time period in which it was made is very apparent, as Czechoslovak cinema was just beginning to develop and Voskovec and Werich were only just finding their place on the silver screen. In both cases, especially with Voskovec, the theatrical style of the Liberated Theatre is still noticeable. Additionally, this film is a manifesto of the interwar left-wing avant-garde influenced by the Soviet model, and deeply immersed in the belief in the power of collectivism. Of course, the historical context is different from the construction works of the late 1940s and early 1950s, and the creators of the film received praise from the liberal bourgeois press, but still, that genuine naivety feels somewhat unpleasant to me. I disagree with those who claim that the film satirizes left-wing ideals, as that critical distance is missing, partly because the film was made before the Moscow Trials and there was no reason to doubt. The apparent caricature is rather a consequence of the unintentional mishandling of individual motifs. It was meant to be a social critique, but you cannot make a full-fledged adversary to Voskovec and Werich out of a trembling wheelchair user who represents a powerful factory boss and who also awkwardly overacts. Werich, as a typical representative of left-wing ideological orientation on the silver screen, portrayed his ideals much more convincingly in The Emperor's Baker - The Baker's Emperor a few years later. Overall impression: 55%. (05/16/2012)

A great satire that sold out cinemas even during the crisis, that's how good the film is. It spoke so much to people's souls at the time. I consider the fact that Voskovec and Werich decided to work on it with the pioneer Martin Frič (Hej-Rup!, for example, is our first ever with rear projection) a very happy decision, and it is also clear that Václav Wasserman also wrote the script with them. It makes the story flow nicely, every scene leads to something, nothing is "just for fun", although there is a lot of fun. The best film of all, however, was yet to come from V+W. "So I'm actually done for." - "But honorably!" (08/27/2015)

A classic Czech film that today would certainly be considered socially engaged, but it's important to realize it was made before World War II and before the arrival of communism. When you overlook the ideology present in it, you get a film that has incredible catchphrases. Basically, there's always something to laugh about, and with Voskovec and Werich, it's evident how well their chemistry worked together. Today, it definitely won't appeal to everyone, especially due to its unrestrained enthusiasm and easy connection to communist socialism, where everything belongs to everyone. However, that doesn't change the fact that it's an entertaining film with great actors and excellent dialogue. (02/03/2014)