InthetimeofCounter-Reformation,amillerandhissoncomeunderinvestigationbyapriestoftheInquisition,whenrumorsspreadthattheirprosperitycomesfromworkingwiththeDevil.TheDevil’sTrapisafilmdirectedbyFrantišekVlá?il,basedonanovelbyAlfrédTechnik,adaptedbyFrantišekA.DvorákandMilošKratochvíl.ItwasthefirstofthreehistoricaldramasthatVlá?ilmadeduringtheCzechNewWave(technicallyheisn’treallyapartoftheNewWave,howeverthesefilmsweremadeduringthesameeraofartisticfreedom),precedinghismorewellknownMarketaLazarová(1967)andValleyoftheBees(1968).Setinthelate16thCenturyduringtheCatholicReformation,intheMoravianKarst,situatedinwhatisnowtheEasternCzechRepublic,ittellsthetaleofamiller(VítezslavVejrazka),andhissonJan(VítOlmer),whocomeundersuspicionandareinvestigatedbyaJesuitpriestoftheInquisition(MiroslavMacháchek),whenrumorsofwitchcraftarespreadbythelocalregent(CestmírRanda),whoisjealousofthemiller’sprosperityanddegreeofrespectamongthelocalpopulace.AsexpectedfromVlá?il,thisfilmisastunningexperienceallthewaythrough.Fromtheopeningshot,anominousmanipulationofperspectivewithacloseupofamangledfigureofChristdominatingtheforegroundagainstatinyfigureinblackwalkingalongthehorizon,tothebreathtakingconfrontationalfinaleinsidethevaststalactitefilledKarstcaverns,itisawonderfuldisplayofvisualmastery.MaybenotquiteasimpressiveasMarketaLazarová,butstillfullofastonishingimagery.Asseenfromuniqueanglesanddistinctpointsofviewwhichhighlightthedirector’sremarkablesenseofawarenessofframing,motion,andpositioningontheemotionalanddramatictoneofthescene.Themostmemorablebeingarepeatedshotwherethecameraissuspendedandlaunchedwithspeedthroughtheairtowardsthemiller’sdoor.ThestoryhereisasimpleoneandIwouldsaymoreaccessiblethanhislaterworks.Withaconventionalstructureemphasizedasmuchbyitsplotandcharacters,thanbyitsexpressionisticcinematographyorauthentichistoricaldetail.Theeventsplayoutwithoutmuchsurprise,andthereisastrongunderlying,almostsupernatural,mysteriousaspectthatisleftunresolved,infactbarelyexplored,whichisslightlydisappointing,butonlybecauseit’ssofascinatingthatIwishtherewasmore.Actingisgreatallaround.Particularlythevillains:MiroslavMacháchekasthepriest,castingasinisterandimposingshadowwhereverhegoes,andCestmírRandaastheweasellikeregentbehindallthepersecution.WhileVítOlmerbringsacharismaticleadingmanpresenceinhisroleasthemiller’ssonJan,inlovewiththelovelyorphangirlMartina(KarlaChadimová),whobecomesadangerousobjectofrivalrybetweenJanandotheryoungmenofthevillage.ThefilmalsofeaturestheevocativemusicofZden?kLiška(perhapsthemostprolificcomposeroftheCzechNewWave).InthishissecondofelevencollaborationswithVlá?il,hiscompositionsareusedsparingly,buttogreateffect,complimentingbutneveroverpoweringascene.Thebestexampleofwhichcanbeheardinanamazinglyshotcelebrationanddancesequenceattheendofthesecondact.TheDevil’sTrapmightnotbeamasterpiece,butitisstillastrongeffort,withafascinatingstraightforwardstoryandaglorioushistoricalsettingcapturedbeautifullybyVlá?il’sunmistakablevisualprowess.AfineworkthatwouldalsobetheperfectstarterplatetoprepareyourselfforthechallengingfeastofMarketaLazarováorTheValleyoftheBees.Itevenhasaneasytodigestrunningtime.It’sthereforepuzzlingwhythisgemremainslargelyoverlookedandignored.
详情主演:岛崎信长,铃木达央
主演:Maciej Karaś 帕維爾·杜馬賈拉 派翠克·西梅克 米哈烏·祖拉斯基 Amelia Fijałkowska 格里高茲·瑪萊茲基 朵蘿達·克拉 拉法·札維盧卡
主演:鲁道夫·霍辛斯基,斯瓦托普卢克·本尼斯,弗兰季塞克·菲利波夫斯基,约瑟夫·赫利诺马兹,Bozena,Havlícková,Eva,Svobodová