Laundryboy

Karel Kachyňa did a perfect job in showing the war atmosphere. Which I cannot say about the kids in the leading roles. Little František was annoying not only for me, but also for the soldiers. They tried to tailor everything to his needs, even though he came from a concentration camp. Anyway, once you get used to him, the movie is pretty okay. But then a little girl from Porubka with a cow shows up and we get a second round of nice faces and stressed soldiers, who see a German behind every corner of the Eastern Front. (05/08/2014)

I saw this film again after nearly three decades and I was curious how it would affect me. Kachyňa was among the absolute best film directors and it is evident even in this unambitious film intended for family audiences and especially for child viewers. Of course, it is not a masterpiece, but rather a typical consumer product. Yet it is filmed with taste, with the ability to lead the child actors, and with poetic camera work (the feather floating in the air after a shootout). In this case, Kachyňa did not compromise with the regime, or rather he fulfilled the need to emphasize patriotism, but he could have fulfilled the need for engagement and brotherly love for the Soviet Union to a much greater extent. Kachyňa sensibly found a balance here, so in this regard, the film is fully acceptable even today. However, I no longer belong to the target audience and cinema has also moved forward since then, so it just deserves an average of 3 stars. Overall impression: 55%. (05/11/2014)