Directed by:
Jan SvěrákScreenplay:
Zdeněk SvěrákCinematography:
Vladimír SmutnýCast:
Ondřej Vetchý, Kryštof Hádek, Tara Fitzgerald, Charles Dance, Oldřich Kaiser, David Novotný, Linda Rybová, Jaromír Dulava, Lukáš Kantor, Radim Fiala (more)VOD (1)
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In 1939, as Hitler and Germany ran roughshod over Eastern Europe, many people escaped, including Czech pilots who joined up with the British Royal Air Force to fight the Nazis. Jan Sverák's moving war drama, DARK BLUE WORLD, details the story of one such group of Czech pilots who are at first laughed at by their British superiors until they prove themselves in the air. Ondrej Vetchy stars as Franta Sláma, the father figure to this motley group of men who desperately want to win back their country. Krystof Hádek plays Karel Vojtísek, Franta's young daredevil protegee who falls in love with an older British woman, Susan (Tara Fitzgerald), whose soldier husband is missing in action. When Franta and Susan grow close, everything threatens to erupt. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (8)
If you want grand action, an engaging romance and extravagant production design, watch Pearl Harbor. If you are a lover of more intimate films, smaller independent creators, and especially appreciate excellently portrayed Czech nostalgia, watch Dark Blue World and you will not be disappointed. Probably the greatest Czech film, which compared to its Western counterparts may seem like a poor relative, but Jan and Zdeněk Svěrák really stepped up and hats off to them. Ondřej Vetchý is excellent.
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The romance in the film seems very superficial and convenient for mainstream cinema, which I think is a shame because the intertwining of wartime suffering with post-war suffering, which is no less awful and even more senseless, is much stronger. It beautifully illustrates how heroism is a double-edged sword and fighting for one's country can mean digging one's own grave. Terrifying and sad in its honesty.
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It is a pity that Zdeněk Svěrák was unable to write a natural and credible love triangle. Dark Blue World lives up to all aspects except the love storyline... Which is a problem, because the tone of the film relies heavily on it. The more problematic the relationship between men and women sounds, the better the mutual friendships that old Mr. Svěrák simply "has in his hand" sound all the better. The transitions from the English battlefields to the communist prison are also excellent, creating a very bitter and sarcastic touch for the film. Maybe Dark Blue World was too ambitious a project... Although, despite all the negatives, it's still a great film.
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After 8 years I finally watched the DVD after many reruns on TV and at the movie theater... and I can definitely say that I love this movie and that it's aging like fine wine. :) There's nothing wrong with it. Period. As an interesting bonus for BBC Narnia fans, Sophie Wilcox appeared as WAAF Jane and that made me very happy too.
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My favorite Czech film, one which matures in an incredible way. That's why I'm sad that it eventually got labeled as a calculated or ingenuine attempt. Jan Svěrák's life's work, even on the tenth screening, still has a powerful impact. Whether it's thanks to the unbeatable performance of the entire male ensemble or the touching and precisely targeted music from Ondřej Soukup. I will continue to be moved or trembling in the Dark Blue World many times more.
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