All My Compatriots

Sure, the basic elements of the film are good to excellent, but the purely contemporary faces, hairstyles, make-up, and costumes of a good half of the cast unfortunately, reduce this project to a period average. If we want to deal with the past, it is necessary to convince the viewer of the time in which the story takes place, and not to make the excuse that a few non-actors as decor is enough. (23/02/2009)

It is not so much the uncontrolled recklessness of nationalization, but rather the concentrated nature of the little Czech man in the form of a Beskydy village that becomes the subject of criticism (but also celebration) in this epic fresco by Jasný. A third of the way through it takes away your words, then your breath, and finally, your superlatives. I have never experienced such huge applause from such a small number of people in the movie theater. (07/06/2007)

A classic that I was afraid to watch for a very long time (completely unnecessarily, as it happens). There is no celebration of the rural spirit of life; there is only the honesty of how a one-of-a-kind sort of stubbornness can prove an asset for some, and evokes an almost surprisingly sad expression on the viewer's face. Thanks to the archetypal characters of the imposing František or the bohemian Zášinek, Vojtěch Jasný goes right to the heart of the matter and the few unnecessary parables that don't exactly land do not hinder him one bit. (20/07/2012)

A poetic, dramatic and comedic look back at how we not only were, but unfortunately how we still are and probably will continue to be. Vojtěch Jasný seems to have decided to juxtapose the simple beauty of nature and the complex relationships between people who live and die in this splendor. With the help of actors, non-actors, a script that really feels like an adapted municipal chronicle, the camera and the versatile music of one of our geniuses Svatopluk Havelka, he managed to create a film that still has a great testimonial value after more than fifty years and which I always enjoy watching. (29/01/2012)

Great film, which - considering the time it was made - surprisingly and critically shows how life was in the countryside and what relationships existed there. In the movie, you can see a lot that there was a long preparation before the actual filming, which paid off. The fates of individual characters interest you, and although Radek Brzobohatý's name is mentioned the most in connection with the film, Vladimír Menšík completely won me over. (10/02/2015)