Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Daisies Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 30, 2022

Vera Chytilova's "Daisies" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include new program with film programmer Irena Kovarova; two archival documentaries; short films; and more. In Czech, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Imagine that in front of you is a giant hand-painted balloon. I am not referring to one of those supersized balloons for children that you can purchase at a local store. The type of balloon I am referring to is very, very big, and you can acquire it only if you make a special order. These types of balloons are manufactured for mass events that require months of preparation work and are usually handled by a small crew of trained technicians. Now, imagine that this giant balloon is overinflated, so if you stick a needle in it, it would instantly burst. Instead of destroying the balloon with a needle, however, you abruptly untie the band holding its end with the cut that the technicians have used to inflate it. But the balloon does not release pressurized air. It releases pure euphoria, the kind that powerful stimulants can never imitate, and with it a wild spectrum of colors. Every fiber of your body then simultaneously begins absorbing the euphoria and colors and soon after you become overwhelmed in a way you have not been before.

As odd as it may sound, viewing Vera Chytilova’s film Daisies is a very similar experience. Completed in communist Czechoslovakia in 1966, this film is essentially one giant cinematic balloon that gets popped and for approximately seventy-six minutes releases pure euphoria sprinkled with lush colors that together relentlessly overwhelm the senses. The sustained release of the euphoria is its story, its message, its personality and identity.

So, what was Chytilova trying to accomplish with a film this unconventional?

Contrary to what many esteemed critics, especially in the West, have argued in the past, the answer to this question is very simple. Daisies was conceived to mock the communist regime in Czechoslovakia in much the same way early punk rock scandalized the establishment in the West. The main difference between the mockery and the scandalizing was in the philosophical take on life that was channeled through them -- the former had an unapologetically favorable view of life and the freedom that was required to live it to the fullest, while the latter had an unabashedly negative view of it that rationalized self-destruction.

In Daisies, the mockery is delivered through the actions of two young girls, one brunette (Jitka Cerhova) and the other blondie (Ivana Karbanova), who play tricks on wealthy old men and naïve young playboys while they spend money entertaining them. As they visit expensive restaurants, posh nightclubs, and popular picnic sites, the girls imagine being truly free and, in the process, their communist reality and their imaginary reality become one. In this oddly surreal place, Daisies then finds the courage to begin playing tricks on the audience as well.

Daisies is unquestionably a different film, one of the most unique the Czech New Wave produced, but sadly it is not a good film. When captured right by the camera, euphoria can be a great cinematic fuel that produces spectacular visuals leading to some quite extraordinary places. In Daisies, the euphoria is very easy to savor but quickly overwhelms and then tires. The lack of proper characterizations is obviously a big consequential limitation but some of the dates for instance still could have been done quite a bit better.

Admittedly, proper characterizations and a more conventional narrative undoubtedly would have doomed Daisies. Indeed, the chaos that the unbridled euphoria brings is the protective facade Chytilova had to have while mocking the absurdity of communist reality. As is, Daisies was seen by the state censors simply as a silly and completely harmless experimental film.

Daisies Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Daisies arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this release:

"This 4K digital restoration was undertaken at UPP and Soundsquare in Prague by the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, in collaboration with Narodni filmovy archiv, Prague, and the Czech Film Fund, from the 35mm original camera negative. The monaural soundtrack was remastered from the original sound negative and the original magnetic mixing tapes."

After the new 4K makeover, Daisies looks very healthy, often very pretty, too. Unfortunately, it does not look like it did in the past. I have seen Daisies theatrically and can confirm that the new 4K makeover introduces a pretty bold new color scheme that changes plenty from the film's native identity. For example, whites and yellows are adjusted to make the color temperature of the various visuals much warmer than they should be, so even though some of the color implosions and tints look quite impressive, they are not right. Also, in some areas darker nuances produce digital gray that quickly evolves into digital flatness that affects the dynamic range of the visuals. I doubt that casual viewers will notice it, especially if they do not know how the film should look, but trained eyes will spot it. The rest looks very, very good. Clarity, sharpness, and depth are usually quite impressive. Density levels are excellent as well. Obviously, the entire film has been carefully cleaned up and as a result it looks spotless now. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Daisies Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Czech LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not encounter any issues while viewing Daisies. The audio was very clear, sharp, and free of age-related imperfections. The soundtrack has chamber qualities, so do not expect to hear a wide range of dynamic nuances and contrasts. Some of the music, for instance, sounds a bit boxy, but this is how it was recorded.

Daisies Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Irena Kovarova - in this new program, film programmer Irena Kovarova discusses the conception of Daisies and its placement in the Czech New Wave. Also, there are some good comments about the generation of Czech filmmakers that Vera Chytilova was a part of. The program was produced for Criterion in 2022. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Journey: Portrait of Vera Chytilova - this archival documentary focuses on the life and cinematic legacy of Vera Chytilova. Included in the documentary are clips from various interviews with the director as well as relevant archival footage from home movies, teaching sessions, etc. The documentary was produced by Jasmina Blazevic in 2004. In Czech, with English subtitles. (55 min).

• Naughty Young People: Chytilova, Kucera, Krumbachova - this archival documentary examines Vera Chytilova, cinematographer Jaroslav Kucera, and screenwriter Ester Krumbachova's collaboration on Daisies. It was produced by Daniel Bird in 2012. In English and Czech, with English subtitles where necessary. (27 min).

• Short Films - presented here are two short films directed by Vera Chytilova:
  
  1. A Bagful of Fleas (1962). Fully restored in 2K. In Czech, with English subtitles. (45 min).
  2. Ceiling (1962). Remastered. In Czech, with English subtitles. (43 min).

• Restoration Trailer - presented here is a new trailer for the recent 4K restoration of Daisies. In Czech, with English subtitles. (2 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring Carmen Gray's essay "Giggling Generals, One and Two" as well as technical credits.

Daisies Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Long before the perestroika, when it was still very, very dangerous to shoot films that were critical of the status quo in the former Soviet satellites, Vera Chytilova's Daisies was something of a rebellious rock star to those that were lucky to have seen it and smart enough to have understood it. Like most such films that survived, however, Daisies had to pretend to be something else. The pretending is what makes Daisies unique, but the truth is that it is not a very good film. Indeed, even if it is deconstructed as a product of its time, it is quite easy to conclude that its mocking game does not engage and excite as it could have. Nevertheless, I still think that it needs to be seen because it has a crucial spot in the Czech New Wave. Criterion's Blu-ray release is sourced from a new 4K master that was prepared after Daisies was fully restored in 4K. The film looks very beautiful now, but not as it did in the theater.