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The Cremator -
As dark as a dark comedy can be, this Czech masterpiece is deserving of an equally dark compliment and descriptor: it does for the Holocaust what American Psycho does for '80s yuppie culture. Did this movie inspire that one? I don't know, but it also belongs on the shortlist of the best movies that juxtapose mental and societal collapse. Rudolph Hrusinky gives an all-time great performance as crematorium director Kopfrkingl, a man who makes you constantly question if everything about his sanity and perfect family life is all presentation. His espousal of the Buddhist philosophy that true peace and happiness come with being reduced to ashes is convincing enough, but the movie is full of other equally funny and cringeworthy things that make you go "hmm," a highlight being his compulsion to hide every bare space on his home's walls with beautiful artwork. There is violence in the movie - the details of which I won't discuss for fear of spoiling it and turning you away - but it's a nice change of pace to see a movie where Nazi occupation occurs without marching armies, flags fluttering in the breeze, etc., but through conversation instead. Besides getting to witness how the typical family in one of their annexed countries could have reacted, it's a worthy reminder that telling can be just as effective - and chilling - as showing. Luckily, the Nazis' gradual encroachment concords with how the movie reveals the implications and consequences of Kopfrkingl's peculiar philosophy, not to mention the unraveling of his supposed sanity. Again, hopefully not to spoil the end result, but it is bound to recall equally funny and disturbing moments from a similar, umm...combative classic from American Psycho's era that I also wouldn't be surprised this one influenced.
This is one of the highest-rated Czech movies and rightly so. It's deserving not just for its distinct take on the Nazi occupation, but also for how it proves that the people we should worry about the most are those who claim to know what is best for everyone. It goes without saying that there are several movies about Europe during WW2 and there are bound to be more. I thought I had seen every kind under the sun, but I assure you that I have seen any like this one. However, if you are still not convinced, it's worth checking out for also being one of the best dark comedy/psychological thrillers I've seen.
As dark as a dark comedy can be, this Czech masterpiece is deserving of an equally dark compliment and descriptor: it does for the Holocaust what American Psycho does for '80s yuppie culture. Did this movie inspire that one? I don't know, but it also belongs on the shortlist of the best movies that juxtapose mental and societal collapse. Rudolph Hrusinky gives an all-time great performance as crematorium director Kopfrkingl, a man who makes you constantly question if everything about his sanity and perfect family life is all presentation. His espousal of the Buddhist philosophy that true peace and happiness come with being reduced to ashes is convincing enough, but the movie is full of other equally funny and cringeworthy things that make you go "hmm," a highlight being his compulsion to hide every bare space on his home's walls with beautiful artwork. There is violence in the movie - the details of which I won't discuss for fear of spoiling it and turning you away - but it's a nice change of pace to see a movie where Nazi occupation occurs without marching armies, flags fluttering in the breeze, etc., but through conversation instead. Besides getting to witness how the typical family in one of their annexed countries could have reacted, it's a worthy reminder that telling can be just as effective - and chilling - as showing. Luckily, the Nazis' gradual encroachment concords with how the movie reveals the implications and consequences of Kopfrkingl's peculiar philosophy, not to mention the unraveling of his supposed sanity. Again, hopefully not to spoil the end result, but it is bound to recall equally funny and disturbing moments from a similar, umm...combative classic from American Psycho's era that I also wouldn't be surprised this one influenced.
This is one of the highest-rated Czech movies and rightly so. It's deserving not just for its distinct take on the Nazi occupation, but also for how it proves that the people we should worry about the most are those who claim to know what is best for everyone. It goes without saying that there are several movies about Europe during WW2 and there are bound to be more. I thought I had seen every kind under the sun, but I assure you that I have seen any like this one. However, if you are still not convinced, it's worth checking out for also being one of the best dark comedy/psychological thrillers I've seen.