Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále (2006)

Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále (2006) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 4 | slideshow) Videos (see all 2)
Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále (2006) -- This is the theatrical trailer for I Served the King of England, directed by Jirí Menzel.
Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále (2006) -- A look at the glamorous life at an old-world Prague hotel.

Overview

User Rating:
7.5/10   2,322 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jirí Menzel
Writers:
Bohumil Hrabal (novel)
Jirí Menzel (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for I Served the King of England on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
11 January 2007 (Czech Republic) more
Genre:
Comedy | Romance | War more
Plot:
A look at the glamorous life at an old-world Prague hotel. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
8 wins & 2 nominations more
User Comments:
One cannot help but admire it. Even if it doesn't quite reach the dizzying heights to which it aspires. more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Ivan Barnev ... Jan Díte, younger
Oldrich Kaiser ... Jan Díte, older
Julia Jentsch ... Líza
Martin Huba ... Skrivánek
Marián Labuda ... Walden
Milan Lasica ... Professor
Josef Abrhám ... Hotelier Brandejs
Jirí Lábus ... Hotel Boss
Jaromír Dulava ... Waiter Karel
Pavel Nový ... General

István Szabó ... Stock Marketeer
Tonya Graves ... Abyssinian Emperor
Rudolf Hrusínský ... Tichota
Petr Ctvrtnícek ... Stockbroker
Jirí Sesták ... Waiter
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
I Served the King of England (International: English title)
Obsluhoval som anglického krála (Slovakia)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for sexual content and nudity.
Runtime:
Czech Republic:120 min
Language:
Czech | German
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Filming Locations:
Harrachov, Czech Republic more
Company:
AQS more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Czech Republic's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008). more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: During the montage of Jan making love to Lise, stock footage is shown of SS men marching through the streets of Prague. The same footage is later reused by flipping the film from left to right, which is evident by the Nazi armbands moving from their left arms to their right arms and swastikas reversing direction. more
Soundtrack:
Ted' jeste ne more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
30 out of 36 people found the following comment useful:-
One cannot help but admire it. Even if it doesn't quite reach the dizzying heights to which it aspires., 13 August 2007
7/10
Author: Chris Docker (eyeforfilm) from Scotland, United Kingdom

Maybe, like me, you don't know that much about the history of the country wherein sits Prague, and its remnants of regal splendour. After watching I Served the King of England, you will know more. A lot more. The politics. The humour. The cultures. The aspirations. The troubled relations with neighbouring empires. And the incredible resilience of its individuals.

I Served the King of England is very ambitious. It condenses an epic novel into two hours and squeezes in more styles than a catwalk. There are nods to the wit of Charlie Chaplin. The visual eulogies of Peter Greenaway. Penitentiaries, bars, brothels, woods, invading armies. All are collected in a dizzying montage as Jan Díte reviews the highs and lows of his life and loves in flashback.

He has just been released from Prague Correctional Facility, having served almost 15 years. He is also in rather humble circumstances. This seems to contrast with his lifelong and apparently successful ambition to become a millionaire. The first half of the film has a theatrical feel of unreality – much like a musical. Serving lad Díte manages to score with a local beauty at the nearby bordello. He then get various jobs that involve him working with sophisticated women of pleasure, or in top hotels, or sometimes both together. His short stature enables him to play many tricks, like surreptitiously throwing a handful of coins on the ground for the pleasure of watching rich men get down on their hands and knees with their bums in the air. One of his favourite penchants with the ladies, on the other hand, is to ornament their naked and prostrate forms with anything from flowers, to fruit, to funds from his growing pocket book. One particularly striking moment is when he decorates a naked brothel girl (who looks worryingly like Kylie Minogue) in large margarita daisies. The scene is as arresting as the nude-and-rose-petals shot in American Beauty, or the female-served-for-dinner in The Cook The Thief His Wife & Her Lover.

Menzel's taste for a decadent protagonist is in no way sullied by shame. His whores are creatures of beauty: "The scent of raspberry trailed behind her. She stepped out in that silk dress, full of peonies, and bees hovered around her like a Turkish honey store." ('Bees' you will note, not 'flies'.) The description follows an incident where the lady in question pours raspberry grenadine over herself - to stop Díte from getting into trouble.

I Served the King of England soon becomes rife with political and social comment, even before we get to the eponymous and very loaded comment by Díte's boss boasting his resumé. Having treated us to sumptuous society, the film reminds us of the cost: "I discovered that those who said 'work is ennobling' were the same men who drank all night and ate with lovely young ladies seated on their knees." The palatial buildings, over-refined manners and ostentatious egregiousness of old Europe belie the fabled shangrila on which they are modelled. As we witness the Nazi and then Communist take-overs, the film touches on many issues that have affected the creation and difficult continuation of the country now known as the Czech Republic. Amusingly, the Nazi ideal of 'racial purity' enables Díte to continue his lifestyle - his German fiancé secures him a job at a breeding ground for top military studs.

The best parts of the film are full of beauty and sadness. An old man reminisces: "We, in the 20th century, are inclined to see the glory in ourselves and the shame in others – that's how the mess got started." The latter half of the film gradually becomes more serious in tone, even didactic. Here is your history lesson, insight into human nature, poetry and great literary adaptation all in one, it seems to be saying to us.

I Served the King of England is a film on an enormous scale. It makes a valiant attempt to be a masterpiece, but feels as if it didn't have quite enough time to display its flaunted genius. One cannot help but admire it. Even if it doesn't quite reach the dizzying heights to which it aspires.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále (2006)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Disappointing portrayal of women? dichotomy
I really enjoyed this movie but... onethatgotaway
coming to US in 2008 jpb316
subtitles!!! bharanigiri
In this subtitles, what does the word 'pinch off a bite' mean? ilovetoseethemovie
Dvd Release nicky-101
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Something for Everyone Giant Ostre sledované vlaky Bright Young Things La vita è bella
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Comedy section IMDb Czech Republic section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.