Searching

Young Michal’s disapproval of his father in this quasi-existential drama is to some extent more fundamental than the usual rebellion parents have to face as their children become adolescents. His father, a communist, was involved in shady party practices during the 1950s and now, in a somewhat more relaxed political climate, he attempts to deflect his guilt with bombastic speeches and recollections of his purported wartime heroics. His behaviour nevertheless reveals his uncertainty; he is groping in the dark just like his son, vainly seeking values to depend on. The “searching” of the film’s title is cleverly projected into the overall conception of the work: the characters speak to each other without understanding, and they roam restlessly from place to place without ever heading towards a specific goal. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)