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Pearls of the Deep

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A five part anthology highlighting works by writer Bohumil Hrabal.

Critics Reviews

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Michael Atkinson Village Voice Generally anarchist and scaldingly farcical, the films look totalitarian life square in the eye, but they're also living testaments to the era's lovable, grungy Euro-slacker esprit. Apr 25, 2016 Full Review Penelope Houston The Spectator Two episodes (Jiri Menzel's, about an eccentric and ageing quartet watching a motor-cycle race, and Jan Nemec's, about two old men in hospital and the lies they tell each other) are fascinating. Apr 25, 2016 Full Review Laura Clifford Reeling Reviews Usually omnibus films are uneven affairs, but "Pearls of the Deep" is a gem of a sampler of 1960's Czech filmmaking. Rated: B+ Apr 25, 2016 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member 1) Q: Who is Ji?í Menzel? A: Renowned Czcech New Wave contributor known for <i>Closely Watched Trains</i> (1966), <i>Capricious Summer</i> (1968), <i>Larks on a String</i> (1990) and <i>I Served the King of England</i> (2006). Q: Did he direct a segment here? A: Yes. Q: Name? A: <i>The Death of Mr. Baltazar</i> Q: Verdict? A: Playful, then draggy, then incendiary, then ironic. 81/100 2) Q: Who is Jan N?mec? A: Renowned Czcech New Wave contributor known for <i>Diamonds of the Night</i> (1964) and <i>A Report on the Party and the Guests</i> (1966). Q: Did he direct a segment here? A: Yes. Q: Name? A: <i>The Swindlers</i> Q: Verdict? A: Anecdotic, then nostalgic, then regretful, then reflective on trascendence. 75/100 3) Q: Who is Evald Schorm? A: Renowned Czcech New Wave contributor known for <i>Courage for Every Day</i> (1964) and <i>The Return of the Prodigal Son</i> (1967). Q: Did he direct a segment here? A: Yes. Q: Name? A: <i>The House of Joy</i> Q: Verdict? A: Dissonant, then impressionistic, then Oedipal, then supernatural. 82/100 4) Q: Who is V?ra Chytilová? A: Renowned Czcech New Wave rebellious girl known for <i>Something Different</i> (1963), <i>Daisies</i> (1966) and <i>Fruit of Paradise</i> (1970). Q: Did she direct a segment here? A: Yes. Q: Name? A: <i>The Globe Buffet</i> Q: Verdict? A: Celebrative, then inconsequential, then grim, then dreamlike. 86/100 5) Q: Who is Jaromil Jire? A: Renowned Czcech New Wave contributor known for <i>The Joke</i> (1968) and <i>Valerie and Her Week of Wonders</i> (1970). Q: Did he direct a segment here? A: Yes. Q: Name? A: <i>Romance</i> Q: Verdict? A: Romantic, then erotic, then socially idealistic, then metaphorically disturbing. 77/100 Bonus Q: Who is Bohumil Hrabal? A: He is regarded by many Czechs as one of the best writers of the 20th Century. Q: What does he have to do with anything? A: The five directors joined forces in this 1966 collage called <i>Pearls of the Deep</i>, where every single segment is based on one of his short stories. Q: Result? A: The Czech New Wave is probably the only movement that gathered the revolutionary visions of five excellent, and yet drastically different visions on the visual and symbolic capabilities of cinema. Put together, the film is entrancing, mysterious, utterly symbolic and yet socially appealing, displaying the ironies, the politics, the affairs, the nostalgic remnants, the art, the dreams and the divisions of complimentary social stratas seen through what might be perceived as a promotional collage of a movement that was beginning to adopt a shape, a voice, a statement, a whole vision... FINAL SCORE: (81 + 75 + 82 + 86 + 77) / 5 = 80.2 80/100 Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member An anthology of adaptations of the short stories of Bohumil Hrabal by the young directors of the Czech New Wave. Suffers from the unevenness inherent in all omnibus films; unfortunately, the two opening segments (about some death-obssesed racing fans and two old men at a nursing home) are pointless. The better installments involve a crazy man who paints every inch of his house, a surreal story of an artist who may be a serial killer, and an unlikely romantic encounter between a fiery Gypsy teenager and a timid young plumber's apprentice. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Pearls of the Deep

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A five part anthology highlighting works by writer Bohumil Hrabal.
Director
Vera Chytilová, Jaromil Jires, Jirí Menzel, Jan Nemec, Evald Schorm
Screenwriter
Vera Chytilová, Jaromil Jires, Jirí Menzel, Jan Nemec, Evald Schorm
Production Co
Filmové studio Barrandov
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
Czech
Release Date (DVD)
Mar 29, 2005
Runtime
1h 45m