Dark Blue World ( Tmavomodrý svet ) ( Leidenschaft in dunklen Tagen )

Dark Blue World (DVD) (*)

$26.99

Original Title: Tmavomodrý svet
Alternate Title: Leidenschaft in dunklen Tagen
Screened, competed or awarded at:
European Film Awards
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
Czech ( Dolby Digital 5.1 )
English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 )
English ( Subtitles )
German ( Dolby Digital 5.1 )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
108 min

Aspect Ratio:
Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)

Special Features:
Anamorphic Widescreen
Commentary
Documentary
Featurette
Interactive Menu
Making Of
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Trailer(s)

Movie filmed in 2001 and produced in:
Czech Republic ( Russia, Eastern Europe )
Denmark ( Scandinavia, Iceland )
Germany ( Germany, Central Europe )
Italy ( Italy, Greece )
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Jan Sverák

Written By:
Zdenek Sverák

Actors:
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

Synopsis:

***ATTENTION***Audio is a mix of Czech, English & German languages***Subtitles - English language***
The most durable war films tend to have a personal dimension, and Dark Blue World is no exception. This simple but affecting story of Czech air pilots serving in the RAF during the Second World War is sensitively directed by Jan Sverak from a script by his father Zdenek, whose Kolya was an unexpected but deserved hit with UK audiences. Dark Blue World focuses on the relationship between Frantisek Slama (played with quiet authority by Ondrej Vetchy) and his protégé Karel Vojtisek (a fresh-faced Krystof Hadek). Escaping Czechoslovakia during the Nazi invasion of 1939, they enlist in the RAF, where the father/son relationship is threatened by their mutual attraction to the apparently widowed Susan (Tara Fitzgerald, thoughtfully understated). The film's culmination sees them reconciled in moving circumstances, and the perspective is widened by scenes set in 1950: Slama, as with most Czech soldiers who fought with the Allies, having been sentenced to hard labour by the Communist authorities as a potential security threat. His decent treatment by a German doctor, as opposed to the brutality of the Czech guards, points up the tragic irony of those who fought for freedom, only to finish up on the "wrong" side of the Iron Curtain. Sverak maintains a persuasive balance between action sequences--into which out-takes from the 1969 epic The Battle of Britain have been seamlessly integrated--and the intimate portrayal of human relationships at a time of profound cultural upheaval. The musical score, tellingly arranged by Adam Klemens, centres around the pre-war song "Svita"--a haunting reminder of old-world charm in contrast to new-world grimness. Dark Blue World persuasively locates a human quality within the historical framework, and so makes for rewarding viewing. On the DVD:Dark Blue World's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio (enhanced for widescreen TVs) reproduces with excellent clarity. Subtitles are in English only--necessary as the soundtrack includes dialogue in Czech and German--with full English subtitles for the hard of hearing. There's a joint running commentary from the Sveraks, an insightful making of documentary, and featurettes giving the low-down on visual effects and aerial sequences. The running photo montage allows for a full run-through of the indelible song "Svieta", and both the English and (very different) Czech trailers are included. Would that all present-day films were as well catered for.

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

This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 19 May, 2010.