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)
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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It's a bit of a shame, but I didn't get to see one of our most expensive and spectacular post-revolutionary films until more than two decades after it was made. Dark Blue World is without question an ambitious project with an international cast that easily stands comparison with foreign films of its time. In addition to the solid technical workmanship, Jan Svěrák's film impresses with its story of sincere friendship and (un)reciprocated love, of heroism and betrayal. This goes hand in hand with the amazing performances of basically everyone involved. I liked the interweaving of the two time planes, making the film more complex and less monotonous at the same time. Perhaps only the ending felt a bit rushed. A Czech Pearl Harbor with a much smaller budget but a noticeably better story.
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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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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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