Medieval

The whole acting ensemble has strong potential. Ben Foster is perfect as Jan Žižka; each of his looks and statements has spirit and balls. The emotions and the simple yet sufficiently dramatic and action-packed story also work well. The film’s harshness and high level of testosterone are surprising, and the high-quality instrumental soundtrack is pleasing. However, the film is dragged down to the level of mediocrity by its directing, which in some scenes is reminiscent of cheap TV trash. For example, in the scene involving the kidnapping of the fiancée, utter cluelessness is on display in terms editing and clarity of what is happening and how. And there are several similar moments in the film. I applaud Petr Jákl for having the balls and ambition to fulfil his boyish dreams, but even he must see that sticking with producing and entrusting the directing to, say, Ron Howard would have had a different result. (10/09/2022)

Petr Jákl practically confessed his love for Braveheart in every interview. And that's exactly the kind of film he made, an origin story of Jan Zizka for foreign audiences. From the whole cultural phenomenon, he chose the myth of birth and supported it with great names. Among many foreign actors that Jákl managed to work with, I would especially highlight Til Schweiger, who is exactly the star that has enough appeal to the audience and at the same time is not at all foreign to our cultural environment. That's why his Rosenberg is a feast for the eyes and at the same time the most interesting supporting character. As a whole, the film works, and it has a lot to offer. (11/20/2022)

I might be one of the few who gave this film five stars, but I have my reasons. Sure, the story was a bit confusing at first. It took some effort to figure out the medieval power plays and motivations. And yes, the action scenes were chaotic, and it was hard to tell who was winning at times. There are also historical inaccuracies, but considering a respected historian worked on the film, and given the scant details from that era, I'm willing to overlook them. Why? Because Petr Jákl has crafted a compelling story about one of the most important figures in Czech history. The gritty medieval atmosphere is fantastic, and the score, featuring multiple renditions of "Ktož jsú boží bojovníci," is stunning. Shot in a Hollywood style with a strong international cast, everyone delivers excellent performances. Ben Foster as Jan Žižka and Sophie Lowe as Katherine were particularly impressive. Filmed in the beautiful Czech landscape with its historic castles, the movie showcases our country to the world. It's fulfilling to see Czech medieval history brought to life in a way that makes it accessible and intriguing to a global audience. Jákl's effort to sell this film to America is a rare feat, making Medieval a unique accomplishment unlikely to be repeated soon. This film doesn't just tell an important story; it serves Czech heritage on a global stage. For all these reasons, I gave it five stars. It narrates a great tale from our past and does a tremendous service to the Czech national pride. I hope people enjoy it and learn more about the era instead of nitpicking. This film deserves appreciation, not unfounded criticism. (09/11/2022)

The fact that Jan Žižka doesn't come across as unintentionally funny at any point, as I was a little afraid it would, can be considered a small victory. Production-wise, the film is solid, but it fundamentally fails in its narrative. I just couldn't get into the story. It's opaque both at the level of the dramatic arc of political scheming and at the level of individual scenes, where it would help to understand the who and the where, but we can’t. What works well, though, are the brutality sequences. It could have been a solid 80-minute dirty medieval carnage, but when there were ambitions for a bigger Hollywood movie, alas. By the way, I don't really understand why someone makes a film called Jan Žižka and choose a period in Žižka's life that nobody knows anything about, so the plot is completely fabricated. I'm not criticizing it in the sense that I'm projecting it into my rating, I just don't get it. (10/17/2022)

After years of promises and media hype, it's here! And within five minutes of watching it, everyone would rather just forget about it. I suppose nobody had much expectations, but I was hoping for at least an enjoyable portion of filmmaking. What I got instead was a grinding grey amateurish borefest, full of the most tedious pathos and jaded actors' faces. Aside from the endless hunt for the macguffin that is the female lead, and a throwaway shot of a three-way that the ruler wants to scheme on, the script offers nothing but a hodgepodge of the most hackneyed movie clichés you can imagine. There’s no characterisation of characters, there are no interesting dialogues, there’s no clear storytelling, there’s no dramaturgy, there’s no pace. Jan Žižka represents the purest grey you could get from the most expensive Czech production. (09/08/2022)