The Country Teacher

2008

1h 55m

Comedy

Drama

LGBTQ+

List

81%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

72%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

Petr (Pavel Liska), a gentle schoolteacher from Prague who has grown weary of the city, takes a teaching position in a small country village, keeping his homosexuality under wraps. Settling into a quiet rural life, Petr begins tutoring Lada (Ladislav Sedivý), the 17-year-old son of his divorced neighbor, Maria (Zuzana Bydzovská). While Maria is drawn to Petr, the teacher finds himself struggling against his growing attraction to her young son, a desire he knows he must suppress.

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Critics Consensus

Bohdan Slama's stunningly filmed dramedy is loaded with full-bodied characters and quietly sincere performances.

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Keith Uhlich

Time Out

If great movies resulted purely from wizardly technical displays, then Czech writer-director Bohdan Sláma's The Country Teacher would be a masterpiece to give Béla Tarr pause.

Rated: 2/6

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Calvin Wilson

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

It's the kind of film that Hollywood used to excel at but no longer seems interested in making.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 19, 2009

Full Review

Michael Upchurch

Seattle Times

The film boasts subtle performances and curious situations with unpredictable outcomes.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 23, 2009

Full Review

David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

A barnyard birthing scene becomes a life-changing event for three characters who, moments before, had no clue as to their fates...

Jun 18, 2020

Full Review

Martin Tsai

Critic's Notebook

The beauty of Mr. Slma's film is how it deftly unwraps a series of surprises for the audience, yet none of them seem like gratuitous twists.

Oct 7, 2015

Full Review

Kelly Vance

East Bay Express

Figuring out the true situation is what writer-director Bohdan Slma's beautifully nuanced character study is all about.

Aug 26, 2011

Full Review

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Audience Member

Wow, I was concerned that this foreign film would bore me, but boy, I was wrong. Great acting, writing, and deeply developed characters. The critics were right about this one. Very moving movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Exceptional film with fine performances from the leads.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I didn't like it as much as I thought I would have. The characters were all very interesting and had their own personal stories to tell,all of them exceptional in their own way,but I didn't like some of the turns the plot took. I think somewhere in there hides a really great movie,the thing is it's lost in all the twists and turns in the plot. It was too long for its own good and it really bored me at times.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The cinematography was exquisite and the characters were, for the most part, likable and relatable.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I thought it was excellent. Very well acted and convincing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

VENKOVSKY UCITEL (TE COUNTRY TEACHER)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

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Bohdan Sláma

Director

Pavel Liska

Teacher

Zuzana Bydzovská

Marie

Ladislav Sedivý

Boy

Marek Daniel

Boyfriend

Tereza Vorísková

Beruska

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Synopsis

Petr (Pavel Liska), a gentle schoolteacher from Prague who has grown weary of the city, takes a teaching position in a small country village, keeping his homosexuality under wraps. Settling into a quiet rural life, Petr begins tutoring Lada (Ladislav Sedivý), the 17-year-old son of his divorced neighbor, Maria (Zuzana Bydzovská). While Maria is drawn to Petr, the teacher finds himself struggling against his growing attraction to her young son, a desire he knows he must suppress.

Director: Bohdan Sláma
Producer: Pavel Strnad, Petr Oukropec, Karl Baumgartner, Thanassis Karathanos
Screenwriter: Bohdan Sláma
Production Co: Pallas Film
Genre: Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: Czech
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 22, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $46.2K
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital