The Arbiter

I once again watched a movie which made me think about it hard not only during the end credits, but also the following day. It is not an easy flick, but visually it is hard to match. If the heavy philosophical story does not interest you, which I personally do not understand, then you at least have to enjoy the beautiful shots of the English countryside and I think even a bit of the North. Probably it was Estonia, as I didn’t see anything else Estonian in the movie. That is, except for the Estonian actor Taavi Eelmaa, who is also one of the most distinctive faces of Scandinavian films and also the most distinctive face of this film. Even despite the fact that he actually appears here only very briefly. The actor in the leading role was also great. Actor Lee Ingleby convinced me in the beginning that this film could be lenient to the viewer, just so he could then show me how strict it could be, too. And I admit that I haven’t seen such a distant and gloomy movie in a long time. The ideas and opinions made me feel really bad and depressed. But it was worth it. You don’t get to see a film like this every day, as well as the surprisingly good filmmaking with an amazing camera. (06/05/2014)

This is a more right-wing film than an instructional video for young Nazi Party recruits. It’s a cold, detached Nordic provocation that digs into the skin precisely by keeping an uncompromising distance from the viewer. The transformation of the young pretty boy into the arbiter of the human right to exist is too well crafted to not think about it long after it's over. The Machiavellian "the end justifies the means" stops at nothing in building up the protagonist's plan, and thus the emotional peak comes with the insertion of the sword of St. Vojtěch. However, it does not detract from the vigor and disputability of his actions - quite the contrary. I look at myself in the mirror with a smug expression and give myself a thumbs up. (07/01/2013)