Musíme si pomáhat (2000)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Jan Hrebejk

Writers:

Jan Hrebejk (writer)
Petr Jarchovský (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 March 2000 (Czech Republic)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Tagline:

In a war-torn village, one couple makes the ultimate sacrifice to save another.

Plot:

In Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia, a childless couple agree to hide a Jewish friend at great personal risk of discovery and execution.

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Jewish | Czechoslovakia | Collaborator | Holocaust

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 15 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Bolek Polívka	...	Josef Cízek
Anna Sisková	...	Marie Cizková
Csongor Kassai	...	David Wiener
Jaroslav Dusek	...	Horst Prohaska
Martin Huba	...	Dr. Albrecht Kepke
Jirí Pecha	...	Frantisek Simácek
Simona Stasová	...	Libuse Simácková
Vladimir Marek	...	SS Officer (as Vladimír Marek)
Richard Tesarík	...	Captain
Karel Hermánek	...	Captain
Otto Sevcík	...	SS Offcier
Jirí Kodet	...	Dr. Fischer-Rybáf
Petr Knotek
Helena Neuwirthová
Nelly Kocarjan

Also Known As:

Divided We Fall (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence and sexual content.

Runtime:

120 min | Argentina:122 min | Canada:123 min | Germany:123 min | UK:122 min | USA:117 min

Country:

Czech Republic

Language:

German | Czech

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Czech Republic:U | Germany:6 | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Jaromer, Czech Republic

Company:

Ceská Televize

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Holiday (2006)

Courage and cowardice

In Krszysztof Kieslowski's brilliant film, 'No End', set in post-Solidarity Poland, a lawyer tells a dissident union leader: 'You decided to collaborate the day you decided not to throw yourself under a tank.' Which is of course true, but often forgotten in our easy condemnation of those who picked the wrong side in past wars. To have been a baker in occupied France, say, and to have continued with your work, draws no retrospective judgement; to have been a senior civil servant is to earn today the label of a Nazi. Of course, Nazism was almost uniquely repugnant, and yet could have been stopped had no-one collaborated; but those of us lucky enough not to have lived through the war need also be careful about setting up standards that we ourselves could not have met. 'Divided We Fall' is a Czech drama set in World War Two, whose strength is it's honesty is portraying both the courage of ordinary people, and also the limits of that courage. It's heroes become reluctant enemies of the Germans when they shelter a Jewish fugitive for initially just one night; and are then forced to follow through on their actions. Director Jan Hrebejk is rather too keen on the peculiar trick of shooting film with a reduced refresh rate, rather like an old silent movie, so that his characters' movements appear odd and jerky: I'm not too sure what this is supposed to achieve. The gloomy nature of the central protagonist also leads to a lack of tonal variation in the piece, he is terminally depressed even before he gets into trouble, and this pervasive mood of hopelessness takes some of the zing out of what at times feels a slow-paced movie. But the merit of this work is it's portrayal of real human beings, doing both good and bad things, for mixed motives, at times of intense pressure. 'Divided We Fall' might not be a great film; but it is a true one.