From My Life

On the one hand, we get the excellent Karel Höger and scenes like the amazing montage before the laying of the foundation stone of the National Theatre, Smetana's stay outside Prague, and the playing of motifs from the Vltava River and a very dramatic deafening. On the other hand, we get Kršek's directorial gluttony, which makes the film stretch out long scenes from Smetana's operas at the expense of the plot, which - filmed, God knows why, in exteriors - look more like they were made by Otakar Vávra. I would have given it three stars, but From My Life is something other than a celebration of Bedřich Smetana and his beautiful music. During the filming, names like Talich, Blachut, Podvalová, Žídek, Bednář were brought together, thus creating something like a documentary for the contemporary viewer and listener... And for that, I'll give it a fourth star. It is a pity that today we probably won't be able to see such pictures, which would radiate justified Czech pride. (06/02/2013)