Kazda

InthetimeofCounter-Reformation,amillerandhissoncomeunderinvestigationbyapriestoftheInquisition,whenrumorsspreadthattheirprosperitycomesfromworkingwiththeDevil.TheDevil’sTrapisafilmdirectedbyFrantišekVlá?il,basedonanovelbyAlfrédTechnik,adaptedbyFrantišekA.DvorákandMilošKratochvíl.ItwasthefirstofthreehistoricaldramasthatVlá?ilmadeduringtheCzechNewWave(technicallyheisn’treallyapartoftheNewWave,howeverthesefilmsweremadeduringthesameeraofartisticfreedom),precedinghismorewellknownMarketaLazarová(1967)andValleyoftheBees(1968).Setinthelate16thCenturyduringtheCatholicReformation,intheMoravianKarst,situatedinwhatisnowtheEasternCzechRepublic,ittellsthetaleofamiller(VítezslavVejrazka),andhissonJan(VítOlmer),whocomeundersuspicionandareinvestigatedbyaJesuitpriestoftheInquisition(MiroslavMacháchek),whenrumorsofwitchcraftarespreadbythelocalregent(CestmírRanda),whoisjealousofthemiller’sprosperityanddegreeofrespectamongthelocalpopulace.AsexpectedfromVlá?il,thisfilmisastunningexperienceallthewaythrough.Fromtheopeningshot,anominousmanipulationofperspectivewithacloseupofamangledfigureofChristdominatingtheforegroundagainstatinyfigureinblackwalkingalongthehorizon,tothebreathtakingconfrontationalfinaleinsidethevaststalactitefilledKarstcaverns,itisawonderfuldisplayofvisualmastery.MaybenotquiteasimpressiveasMarketaLazarová,butstillfullofastonishingimagery.Asseenfromuniqueanglesanddistinctpointsofviewwhichhighlightthedirector’sremarkablesenseofawarenessofframing,motion,andpositioningontheemotionalanddramatictoneofthescene.Themostmemorablebeingarepeatedshotwherethecameraissuspendedandlaunchedwithspeedthroughtheairtowardsthemiller’sdoor.ThestoryhereisasimpleoneandIwouldsaymoreaccessiblethanhislaterworks.Withaconventionalstructureemphasizedasmuchbyitsplotandcharacters,thanbyitsexpressionisticcinematographyorauthentichistoricaldetail.Theeventsplayoutwithoutmuchsurprise,andthereisastrongunderlying,almostsupernatural,mysteriousaspectthatisleftunresolved,infactbarelyexplored,whichisslightlydisappointing,butonlybecauseit’ssofascinatingthatIwishtherewasmore.Actingisgreatallaround.Particularlythevillains:MiroslavMacháchekasthepriest,castingasinisterandimposingshadowwhereverhegoes,andCestmírRandaastheweasellikeregentbehindallthepersecution.WhileVítOlmerbringsacharismaticleadingmanpresenceinhisroleasthemiller’ssonJan,inlovewiththelovelyorphangirlMartina(KarlaChadimová),whobecomesadangerousobjectofrivalrybetweenJanandotheryoungmenofthevillage.ThefilmalsofeaturestheevocativemusicofZden?kLiška(perhapsthemostprolificcomposeroftheCzechNewWave).InthishissecondofelevencollaborationswithVlá?il,hiscompositionsareusedsparingly,buttogreateffect,complimentingbutneveroverpoweringascene.Thebestexampleofwhichcanbeheardinanamazinglyshotcelebrationanddancesequenceattheendofthesecondact.TheDevil’sTrapmightnotbeamasterpiece,butitisstillastrongeffort,withafascinatingstraightforwardstoryandaglorioushistoricalsettingcapturedbeautifullybyVlá?il’sunmistakablevisualprowess.AfineworkthatwouldalsobetheperfectstarterplatetoprepareyourselfforthechallengingfeastofMarketaLazarováorTheValleyoftheBees.Itevenhasaneasytodigestrunningtime.It’sthereforepuzzlingwhythisgemremainslargelyoverlookedandignored.

1973年，七月十日的布拉格，剛滿22歲的歐嘉開著一輛失速的卡車衝上人行道，造成八人死亡。歐嘉對警察說，她是故意的！　　幾天後，地方的報社收到了歐嘉在案發前寄出的自白書，字裡行間不只是她的冷漠與殘酷，更透露出了一個被世人所拒絕的破碎靈魂：中產階級的家庭中她有衣食，卻沒有雙親的關愛，精神狀態與孤獨令她在工作與生活上屢屢碰壁，渴望愛情的她，幾次親密接觸卻無法填補她內心的巨大空虛。她以銳利的目光直視著這個她所不愛的世界，求救的信號來不及抵達，瀕臨極限的歐嘉於是踩下油門。她的衝撞與報復，也將她和人們都推上了無法回頭的道路…

1973年，七月十日的布拉格，剛滿22歲的歐嘉開著一輛失速的卡車衝上人行道，造成八人死亡。歐嘉對警察說，她是故意的！ 　　幾天後，地方的報社收到了歐嘉在案發前寄出的自白書，字裡行間不只是她的冷漠與殘酷，更透露出了一個被世人所拒絕的破碎靈魂：中產階級的家庭中她有衣食，卻沒有雙親的關愛，精神狀態與孤獨令她在工作與生活上屢屢碰壁，渴望愛情的她，幾次親密接觸卻無法填補她內心的巨大空虛。她以銳利的目光直視著這個她所不愛的世界，求救的信號來不及抵達，瀕臨極限的歐嘉於是踩下油門。她的衝撞與報復，也將她和人們都推上了無法回頭的道路…