The Valley of the Bees

“My father promised me to the Order. To save his soul." If it weren’t for Herz’s year younger The Cremator, The Valley of the Bees would sit on the imaginary throne of Czechoslovak cinema. This way it is doomed to second place, but what can you do... And that shows amongst other things that I belong to the “barbarian riffraff" who consider this, Vláčil’s picture to be better than Marketa Lazarová (which is a bit of a paradox since The Valley of the Bees was only made to make use of the costumes and scenery left behind after it). The Bergmanesque proportions, the indescribably splendid camerawork (I will probably never get bored of the shot at the end with Ondřej disappearing into the darkness) and Liška’s score make watching this a wonderful experience for the mind, eyes and ears. And the actors are absolutely... We don’t see Petr Čepek on screen, but Ondřej of Vlkov. Nor do we see Jan Kačer (who currently stars in an awful Czech telenovela), but purely and simply Armin von Heide. The same applies for the others. OK? OK! (02/14/2008)

Much easier to grasp in terms of content than the poetic Markéta Lazarová, but at the same time less interesting and expressive. Many passages are too cold and emotionally empty, which may have been the intention given Vláčil's approach to the dark Middle Ages, but this time boredom creeps in more, its deadly effects countered primarily by the beautiful authentic music by master Liška. Fortunately, there’s the cast led by the amazing Čepek, chilling and raw sets, great costumes and a strong story that always manages to evoke exactly the right feelings. It's a pity that the script runs out of breath in the middle (though, fortunately, it gets it back by the end). 75% (12/08/2013)

The film, which is considered one of the best ever made here. When I was watching it, I felt like I was watching Bergman. Slow but intense moments with incredible performances, which only enhance the power of the overall experience. It's one of those films that must be seen. It may leave you feeling cold and say that it's for intellectuals, but somewhere deep down you will feel that it has done something to you. (12/23/2014)

A cinematic delicacy that emerged as a side product and poorer sibling of Markéta Lazarová. The plot is fundamentally very simple, yet it is filmed poetically and rawly, making for an extraordinarily evocative cinematic experience with perfectly tailored music, excellent cinematography, and stellar performances by Petr Čepek and Jan Kačer. In this film, the saying "there are no small roles" holds true. I assert that if it were made in color, The Valley of the Bees would be half as impactful; the black-and-white material contributes significantly to the ballad-like atmosphere of the story. Overall impression: 95%. (04/29/2007)

The Valley of the Bees is a deeply philosophical movie. It is also very oppressive and impersonal, suppressing all emotions and feelings that a film could arouse in the audience. The result is that The Valley of the Bees is a perfect, raw depiction of the Middle Ages, the likes of which would be hard to find in Czech cinematography. And even though it lacks emotions, it is definitely a film that you must not miss, because it will convince you that all kinds of things used to be shot in Czechoslovakia in the past. And they had success with the audience then, so why shouldn’t they be appreciated today? (01/27/2015)