I screened the Czech movie 'Bony a Klid' specifically because I wanted to develop some familiarity with the Czech language, but this turns out to be an enjoyable film in its own right, with several action sequences that don't rely on dialogue.
The title 'Bony a Klid' is an intentional pun on 'Bonnie and Clyde', as this movie depicts attractive young criminals who are meant to be latter-day Czech versions of Bonnie and Clyde. (By the way, I wish that more people knew the *facts* about Bonnie and Clyde, instead of the Faye Dunaway mystique. The real Bonnie and Clyde were Depression-era punks who didn't have the guts to hold up banks, so they robbed small businesses (such as groceries and gas stations) that were just barely getting by. At one point, Bonnie and Clyde couldn't even steal a car, so they made their getaway on stolen mules. Over their entire career, Bonnie and Clyde stole less money than Jesse James hauled from one bank robbery six decades earlier, without adjusting for inflation. End of digression.)
According to a Czech speaker who viewed this movie with me and translated some of the dialogue, the title 'Bony a Klid' translates as 'Boons and Rest'. The criminals in this movie want to accumulate enough 'boons' (see below) and stolen goods so that they can take it easy (the 'rest').
Martin is an innocent lad from small-town Mlada Boleslav who comes to big-city Prague, hoping to exchange his krona for deutschemarks so that he can visit Germany. A local spiv named Robert obliges Martin, but at an unfair exchange rate. When Martin finds out he was rooked, he plans revenge on Robert ... but then decides to join Robert's gang instead. From this point, most of the rest of the film recounts the gang's activities in various black-market schemes and wide-boy scams. The gang buy, sell and steal foreign goods at dishonest exchange rates, and they also deal in 'boons': these are tariff coupons permitting the purchase of rationed foreign goods. The caper scenes are shot and edited to make the gang look a bunch of sexy young outlaws and bouncing Czechs. SPOILER COMING NOW: After the young crooks have lots of illegal fun, all ends tragically.
I have very mixed feelings about this film. I get the impression that it's a fairly accurate depiction of black-market activity in Prague in the 1980s; a point in this film's favour, even though the world which it depicts is an unpleasant one. I also recognise that young people in Prague in the 1980s didn't have the economic options of young Americans or Brits from the same period, and so their descent into crime is arguably justifiable. Still, I dislike the fact that this is one more movie that glorifies criminal activity, and which puts a veneer of glamour on the crimes by making the criminals young and good-looking. The ending seems morally forced, as if someone decided that we must accept a 'crime does not pay' finale to atone for sympathising with the crooks.
The lead actors give excellent performances. In the central role as Martin, Jan Potmeshil makes a convincing transition from gormless hick to cunning thief. Veronika Jenikova is attractive, and shows real presence. The directing and editing are above average, bringing taut pacing to the caper sequences. And I'm extremely impressed by the Anglo-Czech pun in the film's title. Despite my ethical misgivings, I'll rate this movie 8 out of 10.
The title 'Bony a Klid' is an intentional pun on 'Bonnie and Clyde', as this movie depicts attractive young criminals who are meant to be latter-day Czech versions of Bonnie and Clyde. (By the way, I wish that more people knew the *facts* about Bonnie and Clyde, instead of the Faye Dunaway mystique. The real Bonnie and Clyde were Depression-era punks who didn't have the guts to hold up banks, so they robbed small businesses (such as groceries and gas stations) that were just barely getting by. At one point, Bonnie and Clyde couldn't even steal a car, so they made their getaway on stolen mules. Over their entire career, Bonnie and Clyde stole less money than Jesse James hauled from one bank robbery six decades earlier, without adjusting for inflation. End of digression.)
According to a Czech speaker who viewed this movie with me and translated some of the dialogue, the title 'Bony a Klid' translates as 'Boons and Rest'. The criminals in this movie want to accumulate enough 'boons' (see below) and stolen goods so that they can take it easy (the 'rest').
Martin is an innocent lad from small-town Mlada Boleslav who comes to big-city Prague, hoping to exchange his krona for deutschemarks so that he can visit Germany. A local spiv named Robert obliges Martin, but at an unfair exchange rate. When Martin finds out he was rooked, he plans revenge on Robert ... but then decides to join Robert's gang instead. From this point, most of the rest of the film recounts the gang's activities in various black-market schemes and wide-boy scams. The gang buy, sell and steal foreign goods at dishonest exchange rates, and they also deal in 'boons': these are tariff coupons permitting the purchase of rationed foreign goods. The caper scenes are shot and edited to make the gang look a bunch of sexy young outlaws and bouncing Czechs. SPOILER COMING NOW: After the young crooks have lots of illegal fun, all ends tragically.
I have very mixed feelings about this film. I get the impression that it's a fairly accurate depiction of black-market activity in Prague in the 1980s; a point in this film's favour, even though the world which it depicts is an unpleasant one. I also recognise that young people in Prague in the 1980s didn't have the economic options of young Americans or Brits from the same period, and so their descent into crime is arguably justifiable. Still, I dislike the fact that this is one more movie that glorifies criminal activity, and which puts a veneer of glamour on the crimes by making the criminals young and good-looking. The ending seems morally forced, as if someone decided that we must accept a 'crime does not pay' finale to atone for sympathising with the crooks.
The lead actors give excellent performances. In the central role as Martin, Jan Potmeshil makes a convincing transition from gormless hick to cunning thief. Veronika Jenikova is attractive, and shows real presence. The directing and editing are above average, bringing taut pacing to the caper sequences. And I'm extremely impressed by the Anglo-Czech pun in the film's title. Despite my ethical misgivings, I'll rate this movie 8 out of 10.
