The Assassination at Sarajevo

I would have forgiven most of the small roles played by Czechs - the melancholic Šafránková, Švandová, and especially the fumbling Hrušínský or the traditional Skořepová as one of the extras... Fortunately, however, everything important is played be actors from abroad and Korbelář's ideal František Josef already fits better into the typification headed by Plummer and Bolkanová, and Nedbal being in the background also doesn’t offend. Otherwise, I would rather think about the development of film cooperation between Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia than anything else. (22/12/2012)

It is not common for Czech actors to have the opportunity to play in an international co-production with recognized world film stars and in a production that can afford to portray imperial maneuvers with hundreds of soldiers, period military technology, and court settings without unnecessary compromises. However, what's the point when the result in this case was a mediocre film that can only satisfy a high school teacher during a school performance? It is simply unremarkable, a typical film that will be forgotten in two or three days and only deserves a third star out of obligation for portraying a significant historical event. The direction is unimpressive, and the screenplay is unnecessarily diluted. It lacks sharpness, directorial courage, and cleverness. In the end, even the historical accuracy of the facts is somewhat lacking. The assassins belonged to typical romanticizing nationalists, and Bulajic, perhaps to meet the contemporary demands for engagement, portrays them more as anarchists dreaming of a social revolution. Overall impression: 50%. I will give it three stars, but just barely. It is quite typical that I watched The Day That Shook the World on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of this event. Films of this kind tempt precisely this kind of use... (07/07/2014)