Karamazovi (2008)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Petr Zelenka

Writers:

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (novel)
Evald Schorm (stage adaptation)

Release Date:

24 April 2008 (Czech Republic)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

One Word Title | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Awards:

4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Martin Mysicka	...	Himself / Alyosha Karamazov
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michaela Badinková	...	Herself / Katya
Jerzy Michal Bozyk	...	Pianist
Igor Chmela	...	Himself / Ivan Karamazov
Malgorzata Galkowska
Radek Holub	...	Himself / Smerdyakov
Lenka Krobotová	...	Herself / Grushenka
Klara Lidova	...	Dancer
Roman Luknár	...	Himself / Director
Andrzej Mastalerz	...	Serviceman
Marek Matejka	...	Himself / Commissioner / Judge
David Novotný	...	Himself / Dmitriy Karamazov
Jerzy Rogalski
Pavel Simcík	...	Himself / Innkeeper
Ivan Trojan	...	Stary Karamazov
Lucie Zácková	...	Liza

Also Known As:

Bracia Karamazow (Poland)
The Karamazov Brothers (International: English title)
The Karamazovs (Europe: English title) (festival title)

Runtime:

Czech Republic:110 min | Argentina:113 min

Country:

Czech Republic | Poland

Language:

Czech | Polish | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Czech Republic:U | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Hradek, Czech Republic

Company:

Ceská Televize

Trivia:

Czech Republic's 2009 Academy Awards official submission to Foreign-Language Film category.

One of the best Czech movie of the year and Zelenka's best!

Karamazovi is newest movie from director Petr Zelenka which is by one group accepted as great screenwriter and really cosmopolitan director and by another group as poseur writing one dimensional characters with unrealistic dialogue and not much good storyteller. Karamazovi, adaptation of Dostojevskij masterpiece, and also adaptation of stage-play written by Czech director Evald Schorm, is his best piece so far.

In Zelenka's movies characters tried to get out from Czech Republic and if foreigns come to us, they're documenting us as some strangers (Japanese in Samotari/Loners). Karamazovi's plot is about concurs for a stage play at alternative festival in Poland and actors plays themselves, one of them trying to get out of Poland because he has got some filming in Czech Republic! Point of view has changed, but great atmosphere (thanks to composer A.P. Kaczmarek and cinematographer) with great actors (especially those who plays in Czech TV shitty-serials).

Zelenka in one interview said that he won't to shot movie like Trier his Dogville/Manderly and that he doesn't like his movies, especially last ones. But Karamazovi is sort of "Five Obstruction" auteur-destruction: Ivan Trojan gives another character DVD Loners (Loners was written by Zelenka and Trojan plays there, he plays even in last Zečlenka's movies Pribehy obycejneho silenstvi and now in Karamazovi) and one of character is epileptic same as Zelenka's wife so it's kind of in-joke.

Main thesis of this movie is that without an audience there is no art. Yeah, Zelenka'not really good storyteller and don't know what to do whit female characters... but Karamazovi is second best Czech movie for long years (after Vnewest movie by director Bohdan Slama Venkovsky ucitel, sadly not at IMDb). If you're thinking that Czech cinematography after 1898 is good, so... You're wrong because by year there's probably 20 or more movies and just three are watchable! And Karamazovi is that sort of movie that isn't good just for Czech audience (yeah, not another tragic comedy by Hrebejk!), but it's great for everybody. Because everyboy's are Karamazovi.