The Inheritance

One of the best so-called post-revolutionary Czech films. Like The Firemen's Ball, I had to laugh at The Inheritance from beginning to end. I laughingly resist thinking for two hours about how timely and, yes, harshly true this film is. Each of us knows someone like Bohuš... And many people often are him. (19/11/2009)

That's weird, but it's the best in the "capitalist-privatization comedy" genre. Chytilová may have lost her mind and taste in the 1990s, but Bolek Polívka in the role of Bohuš has proper style and persuasiveness, as does his redneck group (especially the unique grandfather Kroner). Irene doesn't deny that she's not an actress, but fuck, but that's what The Inheritance is all about. It's definitely not a good film, but with hindsight it has its charm and undeniable truthfulness. Chytilová does know how to do that. It's a testament to a certain time with all the smudges and flaws in beauty, but it is watchable... And those catchphrases are also worth storing in memory, although some dialogues are really... redneck. (12/02/2004)

Despite the obtuse criticisms of the time, Věra Chytilová did not create a Troška-esque farce. Nor did she lose her sound judgment or sell out to commerce. However, contemporary and, unfortunately, later viewers were unable to tell the difference between satire and communal comedy. Chytilová was the only one to not go for superficiality, but instead created a timeless and unflattering – and thus all the more chilling – freak show in which she exposed Czech society drunk on a feverish vision of wealth, freedom and power in all its nakedness. Unfortunately, an inherent drawback of every satire is that some people see it as a confirmation of their own values and preen in front of the mirror that has been set in front of them instead of being horrified by what they see. And particularly the image reflected in The Inheritance is utterly, terrifyingly monstrous, though it is also a meaningful statement on more than just its own time and the deterioration of its values. (22/11/2023)

The cult around this film completely passed me by from the beginning. I consider it one of Chytilová's weaker films, with a poorly written script, and the majority of enthusiastic admirers do not perceive it as a morality tale, but rather admire the protagonist's coarseness and "bravado" on a superficial level. I admire Bolka Polívka for completely different roles. This humor was more from the basement, and I actually find the character repulsive. Overall impression: 40%. (17/06/2006)

I've been putting off the cult classic The Inheritance for a very long time, and since it's one of the most quoted Czech comedies, the film didn't have much to surprise me anymore. The script by Věra Chytilová and Bolek Polívka is full of memorable gems, no doubt about it, but on the other hand there are some pretty futile parts with a supremely awkward touch, especially in the first third of the film. The Inheritance would certainly not be what it is if it wasn’t for Polívka in the lead role, who managed to portray the drunken and boorish Bohuš in a very convincing way – quite possibly he didn't even have to act much and was just being himself. Besides him, there the film features other memorable characters: the mini-aunt, Bohuš's mates, his two "femme fatales" Irenka and Vlastička. In the end, I found the film incredibly absurd – imaginative, yes – but somewhat bizarre and out of step with the overall concept. I can definitely understand any rating for The Inheritance. I liked the film as a humorous probe into the lives of the village hicks who are confronted with the seductions of the material world, but I was also tempted to turn the film off several times just because of these overly boorish characters. (10/08/2020)