Marketa Lazarova

Although largely unknown in the U.S., this 1967 avant-garde epic has been hailed as the greatest film ever made in Czechoslovakia. While Czech films like Ivan Passer's Intimate Lighting (1965), Milos Forman's Loves of a Blonde (1965) and Jirí Menzel's Closely Watched Trains (1966) achieved critical acclaim in the U.S., with the latter wining the Oscar; for Best Foreign Language Film in 1968, Marketa Lazarová was not released here in the U.S. until 1974, in a severely edited version that received mixed reviews. Perhaps its setting in the Middle Ages distanced it too much from contemporary Czech life for outside critics, who viewed the more successful Czech films as commentaries on life in a socialist society (of course, Closely Watched Trainsis set during World War II, but that was still recent enough in the 1960s to be seen as a reflection of contemporary life). Marketa Lazarová was too sweeping and different to be pigeonholed in that way. This adaptation of Vladislav Vancura's 1931 novel, inspired by the medieval history of his own family, focuses on the relationship between the children of warring clans. Mikolás (Frantisek Velecký) is the son of Kozlík (Josef Kemr), a bandit knight at war with the royal army and rival bandit knight Lazar (Michal Kozuch). Although Lazar's daughter, Marketa Lazarova (Magda Vásáryová), is due to join a convent, Mikolas kidnaps her and makes her his mistress. Over time, the two fall in love, setting the stage for a tragic outcome. One of the film's key themes is the battle between Christianity and paganism. Kozlik's clan is fighting to hold onto the old pagan ways in the face of the Czech king's demand that his citizens convert to Christianity. Lazar's clan is moving toward Christianity, as seen in his plans to make his daughter a nun, but still maintains some of the pagan ways. This is also mirrored in the conflict between purity and violence. Even though Mikolas has raped her, Marketa attempts to hold on to her Christian purity in the face of his unchecked violence. In a contrasting subplot, Kozlik's clan also kidnaps a bishop's son, a young Christian who falls in love with Kozlik's pagan daughter Alexandria. All of this is presented against the backdrop of the medieval world. The film contrasts the beauty of the film's stark winter landscapes with the potential for violence seen everywhere, both in nature and in the encroachment of humanity. As a result, the film refuses to take sides; the savagery of the pagan Kozliks is just as repellant as the violence of the king's Christian army, because brutality is a natural part of this world. Vancura is considered the Czech James Joyce, who did as much to transform the novel in his native land as Joyce had done in the English-speaking world. He studied law briefly before getting a medical degree, but it was writing and political activism that consumed his life. From those two influences came a lifelong drive to bring together the use of art as a political tool and art for art's sake. He developed a distinctive voice combining classical references with contemporary slang, leading fellow Czech writer Milan Kundera to credit him with "probably the richest vocabulary that any Czech writer has ever had."). With his seventh novel, Marketa Lazarová, Vancura became a commercial success. Although short, only 120 pages, the book is an epic set in an indeterminate medieval period. The plot's focus on the pagan Kozlik and his clan, its cynical attitude toward Christianity and its playful narration have led many critics to label it a predecessor of postmodernism. All of this posed distinct problems in translating the novel to the screen. Frantisek Vlácil had studied directing with the Czechoslovak Army Film studio, where he made training films but was also encouraged to experiment with more avant-garde approaches to the work. His first feature, The White Dove (1960), reflected this in its allegorical plot about the struggle for world peace. He brought the same poetic approach to his trilogy of films set in the Middle Ages, The Devil's Trap (1962), Marketa Lazarová and Valley of the Bees (1968). He would continue directing until 1988, winning awards at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and Pilsen Film Festival, but Marketa Lazarová would stand as his greatest accomplishment. Vlácil and screenwriter Frantisek Pavlícek spent three years attempting to adapt the epic novel into a workable screenplay. They maintained the novel's ironic narration, with the narrator at one point claiming to be the film's director, but also used chapter headings to divide the film into discreet sections. Vlácil also decided to shoot many scenes from the points of view of various characters. As a result, most of the film consists of moving camera shots, which draws the viewer into the action. The screenwriters also added characters and sequences from Vancura's history Pictures of the History of the Bohemian Nation and changed historical inaccuracies in the original novel. To keep production costs down, they had to cut a major section set at the royal court in Saxony depicting the tension between King Wenceslaus I and his rebellious son Ottokar II. Even so, the film's budget rose from seven million crowns to 13 million over the course of a three-year shoot. Vlácil took his crew to various locations in Czechoslovakia, including Rabí Castle and Klokočín Castle, for the shoot. To give the film a lived-in look, he forced his cast to live in the wintery locations with few modern conveniences. Vlácil was able to write off some of the cost by re-using sets and costumes from his Valley of the Bees, made before Marketa Lazarová but released after it. One of the film's most distinctive features is its score by Zdenek Liska. The composer combines medieval plainchant with contemporary electronic music to situate the film historically and create an eerie atmosphere. An accomplished composer noted for his unorthodox orchestrations, Liska was one of the premier film scorers of the Czech New Wave. Among the directors with whom he worked were animator Jan Svankmajer, Karel Zeman and, of course, Vlácil. His work with Svankmajer also led to his music being quoted by the U.S. animators the Brothers Quay. Marketa Lazarová was a major hit in the Czech Republic, selling around 1.3 million tickets. It won a special mention at the Mar del Plata Film Festival, where it was also nominated for Best Film. When a restored print screened at the 1994 Karlovy Vary film festival, critics voted it the best Czech film ever made. That honor was repeated four years later in a poll of 55 Czech film critics. As its original version became available in the U.S., the film's critical reputation improved, with critics now considering it one of the greatest historical films of all time. Director: Frantisek Vlacil Producer: Josef Ouzky Screenplay: Frantisek Pavlicek, Vlacil Based on the novel by Valdislav Vancura Cinematography: Bedrich Batka Score: Zdenek Liska Cast: Josef Kemr (Kozlik), Magda Vasaryova (Marketa Lazarova), Nada Hejna (Katerina), Jaroslav Moucka (Jan), Frantisek Velecky (Mikolas), Karel Vasicek (Jiri), Michal Kozuch (Lazar) Sources: Tom Gunning, "Cinema of the Wolf: The Mystery of Marketa Lazarova," https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2809-cinema-of-the-wolf-the-mystery-of-marketa-lazarova Alex Zucker, "Marketa Lazarova: Vladislav Vancura and His Novel," https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2810-marketa-lazarova-vladislav-vancura-and-his-novel By Frank Miller