7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
CzechMate - in Search of Jiri Menzel directed by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, is an in-depth exploration of the work of renowned Czech director Jiri Menzel and the Czech New Wave.
Starring: Jirí Menzel, Věra Chytilová, Milos Forman, Dusan Hanák, Agnieszka HollandForeign | 100% |
Documentary | 13% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Czech: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region B, A (C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Even those who consider themselves fans of world cinema might struggle a bit if asked to list prominent names in the Czech film industry. Many of course may instantly refer to Miloš Forman, and with Criterion’s 2020 release of Three Fantastic Journeys by Karel Zeman, others may recall the iconic director of such outings as The Fabulous Baron Munchausen. There are most certainly other names that various cineastes might cite like Hugo Haas, Ivan Passer, and Jan Němec, but my hunch is even those who are able to provide name after redolent Czech name might be stunned by the sheer amount of information that the somewhat cheekily titled CzechMate: In Search of Jiří Menzel offers. The fact that this sprawling seven and a half hour (!) documentary took Shivendra Singh Dungarpur almost eight years to complete may give some indication of just how sprawling the piece is. Kind of loosely structured (perhaps frustratingly so, at least for some), CzechMate: In Search of Jiří Menzel may ostensibly be focused on Menzel, but it’s really a rather bracing overview of the entire movement that became known as the Czech New Wave. As such, the documentary is a virtual compendium of film clips that offer a number of really interesting snippets which, if nothing else, may spark an interest in some fans in developing another kind of list, namely a bunch of films they should track down and watch.
CzechMate: In Search of Jiří Menzel is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Second Run with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer (often) in 1.78:1 (as can be seen in several of the screenshots accompanying this review, some archival interviews and especially many of the film clips can be in various aspect ratios ranging from near Academy to Scope). As is typically the case with these kinds of documentaries, there's a rather wide array of quality fluctuations, though all of the contemporary interview footage looks sharp and very well detailed for the most part. Some of the contemporary "extraneous" footage of people out and about can occasionally have slight issues with noise or minor pixellation. Some of the archival interviews look sourced from videotape and can be fairly fuzzy. Almost all of the film clips are in surprisingly good shape, and detail levels are very appealing with an understanding that a lot of the clips utilized tend to emphasize "artier" framings and imagery.
CzechMate: In Search of Jiří Menzel features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that is actually in a variety of languages, as befits its international cast of "characters". All of the contemporary interview segments sound just fine, though there's little if any real "surround" activity. Even a lot of the film clips have mono sound, but occasionally suddenly the soundstage can open up for a moment or two, especially with regard to some scoring and sound effects. Optional English subtitles are available, and translate everything, including the English.
- Our Dear Mister Foerster Died (1080p; 15:24)
- Prefabricated Houses (1080p; 7:07)
Considering the fact that Menzel shows up almost immediately and thereafter fairly regularly throughout CzechMate: In Search of Jiří Menzel, the "search" would seem to be a fait accompli, or whatever the Czech equivalent of that phrase might be. That's said in jest of course, but one of the best things about this documentary is that it isn't just about Menzel. This is an exhaustive and perhaps exhausting documentary, but I personally loved the way Dungarpur kind of "goes with the flow" both in terms of how he intercuts between interviews and especially how he assembles the montages of Czech films. I would strongly recommend putting aside a few days to watch this in sections. Technical merits are solid with an understanding that this has been cobbled together from any number of pretty widely variant looking sources, and the two Menzel shorts are really intriguing. Highly recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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