Die Brüder

Ein vorsichtiges und selektives Stichwort aus Wikipedia, das die Psychologie durch pathetische „Bilder aus der Geschichte“ ersetzt. Am besten geht es ihm dort, wo es sein einfaches Moral-Universum verlässt und sich nur auf das Überleben und den Willen konzentriert, der die Brüder Mašín in diesem Film am meisten definiert. Dieser Film ist nicht so verschwitzt wie andere tschechische Versuche, die bösen fünfziger Jahre zu reflektieren, obwohl er ähnliche Mängel in der Charakterisierung der Zeit und der Regimediener hat. Der Film behandelt das Thema mit Pietät und versteckt sich hinter das Klavier und etwas, was man als „geschichtliche Notwendigkeit“ definieren könnte. Deshalb kann er nicht so richtig über das heikle Thema des gewaltsamen Widerstands und der moralischen Entscheidungen erzählen. Die Regie, die Kamera, der Schnitt und die Schauspielleistungen sind aber solide. (11.02.2024)

On the eve of this year's Czech Lions, the choice fell on the film with the most nominations and also our foreign-language candidate for the Academy Awards. Brothers could have at least taken a back seat to more promising projects for the Oscars, as it is an at times overly aloof and stilted biographical drama that, like the opinions on the real brothers, comes across as controversial. The film would have benefited from a shorter running time and a stronger coherence between scenes (especially in the first half). That said, I commend the action sequences depicting the brothers' movements in Eastern Germany, as well as the scenes with the female cast (Tatiana Dykova and Karolina Lea Nováková), which were powerful to the point of being chilling. Better three stars! (09.03.2024)

Great technical execution, lacking content. Unfortunately, the least interesting element of Brothers is the titular brothers. Given their controversial nature, the screenplay dares not approach them with any kind of opinion, and so you learn next to nothing about their thoughts, emotions, doubts, and possible regrets (the protagonists are simply hollow; they have no inner conflict; they don't go through development; they don't come across as vivid). Even their primary motivations are sketched in just to avoid being told, and come across as stilted and underdeveloped. The film works all the more in the scenes with Tatiana Dykova as the distressed mother, who adds perhaps the only truly human element to the story. Surprisingly, the film paces very well in terms of action and the expected chase in the second half is very tightly and suspensefully shot, a very solid above standard for a Czech production. It's worth seeing, whatever your opinion of the Mašín may be, but sending these things to the Oscar fight for the Czech Republic is woeful. (25.10.2023)