Directed by:
Agnieszka HollandScreenplay:
Marek EpsteinCinematography:
Martin ŠtrbaComposer:
Antoni Komasa-LazarkiewiczCast:
Ivan Trojan, Josef Trojan, Juraj Loj, Jaroslava Pokorná, Jiří Černý, Miroslav Hanuš, Ladislav Kolář, Martin Sitta, Jan Vlasák, Barbora Milotová (more)VOD (2)
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Jan Mikolášek is the epitome of aplomb and solidarity. He is talented, sensitive, assertive and enigmatic. In his youth and when he is older, regardless of whether he is in private or public, he is a man of action, reason and intuition. A faith healer. Just one glance at the urine bottle is enough for him to know what ails his patient. With fame comes fortune, and this at a time when Czechoslovakia is a pawn in a game being played by the major power blocs. Protected and used by both the National Socialist and Communist regimes, he steps in wherever the system fails. But during the post-Stalinist years, the political climate becomes unpredictable and his special status is endangered. Along with his assistant František, with whom, as the secret police are well aware, he has much more in common than herbal medicine, the charlatan finds his morals being put to the test. Based on the life of Jan Mikolášek (1889–1973), and with a screenplay by Marek Epstein, Agnieszka Holland once again explores the link between the private and the political, and the relationship between the passage of time and the story of an unconventional individual. (Berlinale)
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Reviews (9)
The film greatly surprised me (in a good way). After my previous experience with Agnieszka Holland, I wasn’t getting my hopes up. The fact is that the success of the film was mainly thanks to the protagonist, who took a break from shooting commercials for the Czech Railways, and once again showed us what Trojan is made of. What annoyed me about the film was the terrible EU ass kissing (literally), since the intimate scenes between the two lead actors stuck out like a sore thumb and why was there a need for a direct shot of a bunch of soft bell-shaped objects? Absolutely irrelevant and Mrs. Holland didn’t score any points with me this time either. However, the atmosphere of the 1950s was well captured and I am only glad that I decided to watch Witches' Hammer again yesterday. Inquisition, Gestapo and StB - find ten differences.
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I was perhaps looking forward to Charlatan a little too much, given the strong subject matter and the people involved, and so I was a little disappointed in the outcome. From a technical standpoint, Charlatan is handled mostly well – the assured camera work and the unmistakable score are proof of that. The acting was, as expected, really convincing, without unnecessary theatricality. Besides the almost unquestionably excellent Ivan Trojan, I must not forget to mention the young Josef Trojan, who was a great second to his father, then the grounded performance of Jaroslava Pokorná, and last but not least the solid part of Juraj Loj, unknown to me so far. What bothered me about the film, however, was its narrative lack of coherence in several places, for example the kittens, which many have already mentioned, or especially the last minutes of the film. On the one hand, this is a bold and, by Czech standards, above-average film with some really evocative moments (the death of Zapotocky, the arrest by the Gestapo) that, alongside the "quackery", addresses same-sex relationships in the post-war era, but on the other hand, there were a few places where I just felt it was missing something and that it somewhat deprived me of the desired experience. A weaker four stars!
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Like Mr. Jones, Agnieszka Holland's previous film, I don't think Charlatan would be a pure five stars... if it weren't for Ivan Trojan. I already know he's a great actor, but he outdoes himself with what he does here, under the baton of a world class director. I searched my memory for the last time I was so impressed by the performance of a Czech actor in a Czech film, and I ended up with Bolek Polívka in Forgotten Light. Ivan Trojan gives an incredible performance of the caliber of Rudolf Hrušínský or Miroslav Macháček, and he is not Trojan, but Mikolášek, whom you alternately admire and hate. But Josef Trojan, whose casting is based on far more than his resemblance to his father, is also very good, and I liked the uncluttered script and the likewise sparse direction. The ending disgusted me and it didn't matter that it was contrived. I understood why what happened happened, and why who did what they did, but it didn't make the heartbreak any easier.
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My rating is a bit biased, because any time I’m lucky enough to see a Czech film in a cinema outside our country, I'm touched and proud. Especially when it's in a place where I wouldn't expect to see on of our movies. So for me it was more about where and how I saw the film than what it was like. I liked the complex and ambiguous nature of the character of the charlatan, I liked the cinematography, but the atmosphere was at times a bit more uncomfortable than I would have liked. Because of that, and a few distracting scenes, I don't think I'm going to catch it when it airs on TV. PS: So I thought it was impossible for me to forget to rate a film here, but actually you can. Thanks, user, for reminding me of Charlatan with your review today. 3.5 stars.
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A powerful story about an exceptional person and his cruel fate. It’s a great experience watching both Agnieszka Holland’s outstanding work and the two main protagonists in action. It’s good that this story inspired by real life has been given some space, reminding viewers of a time that mustn’t be forgotten. That people are a nasty species and that love shouldn’t be forbidden. And lastly, I would like to praise how she works with life and the great screenplay.
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