Filmový dobrodruh Karel Zeman

Eine würdevolle Ehrenerweisung unserem Meister der Fantasie. Der Dokumentarfilm wollte offensichtlich nicht alles umfassen (und er konnte es auch nicht). Deshalb konzentriert er sich hauptsächlich auf Zemans Liebe zum Erzählen von Geschichten und auf die Liebe des Publikums und der Kolleg*innen zu seinem Werk. Terry Gilliam habe ich seine Begeisterung restlos geglaubt, Tim Burton weniger – es ist nicht so, dass ich an ihm zweifeln würde (z. B. in Batman gibt es eine Szene, wo der Hauptheld in einer Zeichentrickfilmgestalt erschient, was wie bei Zeman aussieht). Es ist eher deshalb, weil seine drei vier kurzen Sätze aus der Sendung Na plovárně herausgeschnitten wurden und eigentlich nichtssagend sind. Den uninteressanten Kamil Fila müsste ich in dem Film überhaupt nicht haben. Sein Raum würde ich Karel Zeman selbst widmen, der von der Aufnahme vielleicht mehr als nur den Abschlusssatz sagen konnte. (27.03.2019)

A nice documentary matching the reputation of the activities around the Karel Zeman Museum. Here and there we get an interesting observation, a conveyed love of the subject, and interesting period material. The attempt to repeat some of the special effects sequences also works as a distraction. The only major mistake is the classic performance of the arrogant Kamil, who sometimes says inappropriate things. (29.05.2016)

Karel Zeman: Adventurer in Film is a precisely rendered popularisation documentary that smoothly and effectively fulfils the objectives set by the filmmakers, namely to commemorate the work of Karel Zeman, to present his filmmaking career and the techniques that he used to create his distinctive works, and to highlight his importance and renown on the level of both domestic and global cinema. It would perhaps be possible to criticise the film for not including more archival material or for the fact that the passages with Tim Burton are merely idle chatter that says nothing about Zeman and his films, instead only adding a popular talking head to the documentary. However, such criticisms would essentially involve how differently the documentary could have been conceived if it had been focused on different goals, which in turn would have negated its purpose of popularisation. In this respect, it is worth highlighting the tactic of outlining the significance and international reputation of Karel Zeman by including the statements of renowned popular filmmakers, critics and educators from abroad, who in most cases speak of Zeman’s work not only with obvious enthusiasm and respect, but mainly with knowledge and insight. The imaginative nature of Zeman’s vision and the brilliance and difficulty of its practical realisation are clearly illustrated in the passages where contemporary film students try to imitate Zeman’s iconic tricks in their training. The combination of statements from people who were there, his daughter, film critics and historians ensures an optimum balance of biographical information, recollections, critical detachment and the placing of Zeman’s work in a broader context. (18.08.2015)

A beautiful documentary that shows that we have - or at least had - personalities who truly had a significant impact on how world cinema should look like. It is incredible who Zeman was able to influence, but it is even more beautiful that there are still creators today who follow in his footsteps. Hopefully, this documentary will pave the way for Karel Zeman for future generations. (04.01.2016)

I was born in 1989 and still even for me Karel Zeman created a childhood full of experiences I will never forget. Anytime there was a movie by Karel Zeman on TV, I immediately ran to it and without a beep sat in front of it and stared with gaping mouth until the moment there was a big title saying “the end”. I am incredibly happy that a director like Karel Zeman got this beautiful documentary, where he is praised not only by the Czechs, but also by world-renowned directors like Tim Burton or Terry Gilliam. I am even more happy that this persona of the Czech cinematography has a beautiful museum on the Kampa Island in Prague, which was already visited by the celebrities of the filmmaking world like Steven Spielberg or Gwyneth Paltrow. We are lucky that this man was born in our country. The man who wanted to shoot films for children to increase their imagination. In any age, time, but also regime. (03.01.2016)