Tmavomodrý svet (2001)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Jan Sverák

Writers:

Zdenek Sverák (story) and
Zdenek Sverák (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 May 2001 (Czech Republic)

Genre:

War | Drama | Action | Romance

Plot:

The friendship of two men becomes tested when they both fall for the same woman.

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Spitfire Aircraft | Fighter Plane | Battle Of Britain | Airplane

Awards:

7 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Ondrej Vetchý	...	Frantisek Sláma
Krystof Hádek	...	Karel Vojtisek
Tara Fitzgerald	...	Susan Whitmore
Charles Dance	...	Wing Commander Bentley
Oldrich Kaiser	...	Jan Machatý
David Novotný	...	Bedrich Mrtvý
Linda Rybová	...	Hanicka Pecharova
Jaromír Dulava	...	Railwayman Kanka
Lukás Kantor	...	Tom Tom
Radim Fiala	...	Jura Sysel
Juraj Bernáth	...	Jan Gregora
Miroslav Táborský	...	Vilha Houf
Hans-Jörg Assmann	...	Doctor Blaschke
Thure Riefenstein	...	German Officer Hesse
Anna Massey	...	English Teacher

Also Known As:

Dark Blue World (International: English title)
Leidenschaft in dunklen Tagen (Germany) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

Czech Republic | UK | Germany | Denmark | Italy

Language:

Czech | German | English | Slovak

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-7 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | UK:12 | USA:R | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Czech Republic

Company:

Biograf Jan Sverak

Trivia:

The most expensive Czech movie so far. The most expensive scene from total budget of 8 milion USD is where British Spitfire attacks German train. It cost more than the whole Oscar-winning Sverak's movie Kolya (Kolja).

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Czech RAF sergeants are often saluted and addressed as "sir".

Quotes:

Prison Warden: This is a liquidation camp! You're educated, so you know what it means. That cart over there is called Amnesty, and it goes to the cemetery and back. There will be no other amnesty for you!

Movie Connections:

Edited from Battle of Britain (1969)

Soundtrack:

Americká polka

Good, very good...

I'm Czech and soldiers (not only pilots) who escaped Czechoslovakia after Nazi's invasion in 1939 and fought against them abroad are true heroes and bravest men in our history for me. This movie from director of Academy Award winner "Kolya" (1996) is a tribute to these men. It's first big-screen movie about Czechoslovak WWII soldiers since "Nebesti jezdci" (1968). I think "Dark Blue World" is a good movie - good acting, good special effects, nice music etc. Movie is half in English and some actors are Britons. But greatest thing about this movie is it's pure existence. It's great chance to show people all around the world (and to many people in Czech Republic too...) that Czechoslovak role in WWII was not only as occupied country but as an active member of allied campaign.

Leading characters are older and wiser Frantisek and young Karel. They escaped together from Czechoslovakia, they are flying in the same squadron and they fell in love with the same woman... Maybe it's a cliché but fortunately this storyline is not so aggressive and is in good balance with other scenes (including great dogfights). I don't want to compare "Dark Blue World" with "Pearl Harbor", someone will like PH more and someone will like DBW. But if you like happy ends, DBW is not for you. So, I think it's very good movie for everyone who likes this type of stories and very good movie who wants to get to know something about this chapter of Czechoslovak history.

BTW, main theme "Dark Blue World" is from Czech 30's and 40's composer Jaroslav Jezek. He wrote this theme when he lost his eyes...