In the time of Counter-Reformation, a miller and his son come under investigation by a priest of the Inquisition, when rumors spread that their prosperity comes from working with the Devil.
The Devil's Trap is a film directed by František Vlá?il, based on a novel by Alfréd Technik, adapted by František A. Dvorák and Miloš Kratochvíl. It was the first of three historical dramas that Vlá?il made during the Czech New Wave (technically he isn't really a part of the New Wave, however these films were made during the same era of artistic freedom), preceding his more well known Marketa Lazarová (1967) and Valley of the Bees (1968).
Set in the late 16th Century during the Catholic Reformation, in the Moravian Karst, situated in what is now the Eastern Czech Republic, it tells the tale of a miller (Vítezslav Vejrazka), and his son Jan (Vít Olmer), who come under suspicion and are investigated by a Jesuit priest of the Inquisition (Miroslav Macháchek), when rumors of witchcraft are spread by the local regent (Cestmír Randa), who is jealous of the miller's prosperity and degree of respect among the local populace.
As expected from Vlá?il, this film is a stunning experience all the way through. From the opening shot, an ominous manipulation of perspective with a close up of a mangled figure of Christ dominating the foreground against a tiny figure in black walking along the horizon, to the breathtaking confrontational finale inside the vast stalactite filled Karst caverns, it is a wonderful display of visual mastery.
Maybe not quite as impressive as Marketa Lazarová, but still full of astonishing imagery. As seen from unique angles and distinct points of view which highlight the director's remarkable sense of awareness of framing, motion, and positioning on the emotional and dramatic tone of the scene. The most memorable being a repeated shot where the camera is suspended and launched with speed through the air towards the miller's door.
The story here is a simple one and I would say more accessible than his later works. With a conventional structure emphasized as much by its plot and characters, than by its expressionistic cinematography or authentic historical detail. The events play out without much surprise, and there is a strong underlying, almost supernatural, mysterious aspect that is left unresolved, in fact barely explored, which is slightly disappointing, but only because it's so fascinating that I wish there was more.
Acting is great all around. Particularly the villains: Miroslav Macháchek as the priest, casting a sinister and imposing shadow wherever he goes, and Cestmír Randa as the weasel like regent behind all the persecution. While Vít Olmer brings a charismatic leading man presence in his role as the miller's son Jan, in love with the lovely orphan girl Martina (Karla Chadimová), who becomes a dangerous object of rivalry between Jan and other young men of the village.
The film also features the evocative music of Zden?k Liška (perhaps the most prolific composer of the Czech New Wave). In this his second of eleven collaborations with Vlá?il, his compositions are used sparingly, but to great effect, complimenting but never overpowering a scene. The best example of which can be heard in an amazingly shot celebration and dance sequence at the end of the second act.
The Devil's Trap might not be a masterpiece, but it is still a strong effort, with a fascinating straightforward story and a glorious historical setting captured beautifully by Vlá?il's unmistakable visual prowess. A fine work that would also be the perfect starter plate to prepare yourself for the challenging feast of Marketa Lazarová or The Valley of the Bees. It even has an easy to digest running time. It's therefore puzzling why this gem remains largely overlooked and ignored.
科恩兄弟以《巴斯特的歌谣》重现西部荒蛮，滨口龙介借《偶然与想象》编织情感纹理。这二部应该是短片集能够触及的天花板了，第二个故事后劲尤其大，虽然也有一处剧作上的神来之笔，但相比较之下第一和第三个故事则更具设计感。演员都演得很棒。
最喜欢故事二 虽然三个故事的主题都是偶然与想象
9.2/10 #iksv 即便是短片集也依旧饱有后311的影子，第一段结尾的城市改建，第二段的一种身份自白（较隐性），第三段的地点设定（宫城仙台）和失联。步入此部的结构显然更容易，既是偶然，与想象，似乎有些太简单。想象既是角色的行为（身份的扮演），也是滨口邀请观众参与的观看方式（文字化的性爱）。偶然是一种结构的突变，正如舒曼Op.15的调性转折，伴随着第一段和第二段故事中行驶途中的偶然颠簸，成为了叙事的灵活呼吸。滨口只是滨口，绝非洪尚秀，更非黑泽清，不理解将几者并论有何根据。第一段>第二段≈第三段，滨口从不对画面中的“幕”（screen）做任何特定的功能，无论是使其成为自反工具亦或是额外的画幅分割，都并不如此，那些车窗，玻璃门，与倒影，都只是构建情景与情绪的温室，使人不断沉浸与沦陷。
【勉强3.5】我感受得到贾玲的用心，但如果我是导演，我一定不会允许我的母亲再过一遍这样的人生。
发现了三章都有"名字"引发的"偶然". 果然女性的感情特别细絮.
20、30、40。看似瑣碎與隨性，再加上大串大串的台詞，原本可能聒噪和疲憊的故事，都被濱口龍介處理得相當從容而輕巧，一切都對，美好而迷人，就是舒服。
超现实视角下的去繁存简，虽然早已不是什么新鲜技法，但只要能站稳脚跟，就可以达到很好的效果。三段故事渐入佳境，戏剧性发展被刻意淡化，更多的聚焦在由大量对话一波一波而产生的潮水本身中。老洪终于开了日本分部，甚是欣慰。两者当然是存在着差别，对影像的尊重其实并无可比性。4.2
它可以是开着的门，最后那辆车缓缓驶进隧道，走进漫无边际的黑夜，彷佛一切都被吞噬，她的未来是什么？黑夜还是清晨，其实映射的是观众的选择；
80/100。#IKSV#滨口龙介舍弃了《欢乐时光》里的絮絮叨叨，丢掉了《夜以继日》的无病呻吟，用极具精巧的拍摄手法为我们讲述了几个有关于女性的小故事，可能手法上并不能为所有人接受，但情感足够真挚动人。或许在人生的某一刻，你也是彷徨于过往情丝中的纠结者，你也是想逃脱自身缺陷却又一直出不去的迷失者，你也是想理清曾经反反复复不止不休的执念的不甘者。但当你经历了命运之轮的吹拂，当你在想象与现实的交界线上突然认清了未来的路，当你终于在破碎的记忆里看清了那道如何继续走下去的明灯，所有的幸福和愉悦，也许就在下个街角等着你。我们的存在，就是对无声时间的最好宣战。
因偶然而展开的对话，以为牢固的关系全部瓦解，记忆错乱而产生的连结却如此美好。
4.5 - 在滨口的电影里生活总是不可捉摸地流动，一些明显的误会是技巧，但此后的湍流似乎没有规律，随着人性的明暗而跃动。最喜欢的是第二段，一种跃然纸上的情色，不可言说的欲望在毫无起伏的阅读里悄悄滋长，在反复进退之间打破了第四面墙，将文学、电影和角色/观众的想象混合在一起，成为非常高级的调情和暧昧。始终开着的门也成为对欲望的压制和反向挑逗，成为这场「情欲戏」最不落俗套的道具。第一段和第三段实际上也感触颇深，当我们意外由命运的一个位置挪到另一个事先没有想过的位置，对于命运的观看和选择也因此出现超越本我的角度，不一定要试图辨清哪一个才是「我」，而是发现与直视「我」的多种可能性。
女人翻开书读道，“她待我的睾丸如同对待一只折了翅的鸟儿”，男作家听着，嘴微张，下意识吞了下口水，开始坐立不安。这段剧情对我来说就像藤本树《蓦然回首》中，藤野听到京本对自己漫画的夸赞后在雨中起舞，一样甜美。
女生要揭开多少层面纱才能发现自己？把情感、欲望、标签和社会身份对女生的遮蔽春风化雨的融入到故事里，又强塞进台词里；情景与台词相爱相杀。非常典型的简单关系里的复杂事件小品，可以教学用。
#BIFF# 天幕彩云，4.5分。看完回想，舒曼（及其它）配乐与人物行板式的对话/互动节奏是催眠/魔术的基础，给予人物一个并不容易存在的被观看与展开的空间。每个故事从日常场景出发，人物的对白从奇情/偶然处开始飞梭掷向彼此，牵引彼此各自及共同在场的情绪状态（而前情/记忆也是其佐料），也让言语提及/强调的目的在实现与失落间变得暧昧难辨（确定所失之爱、引诱、关怀，或者这些对于怀有目的人的意义与价值）。不过又忍不住觉得，这次的滨口有点“直白”，所有东西几乎都被点破了。
不可避免的被第三个段落击中，但感慨良多的却是一种落空，我一直期待着其实被相认的那个人通篇在伪装和逃避，直到故事的结尾她果然绷不住了，再次冲上天桥去与对方坦言自己就是那个人，然而并非如此的安排，不知该说可惜还是万幸
明星导演的一个问题，是他们无论形式如何，主题是只契合某些年龄段或有某些心结的人的口味。第二个故事虽然最好，最情欲，电影感最好，女主在破碎之后新生了独立人格，但男主不该就此消失，不像坦荡荡大作家的做派。三个故事都在教育人：关键时刻不坦白自己最真实的心意，直面最真实的自我，会后悔一辈子。聊天都可以是色色的，嗯。
这不就是洪尚秀？把生活中的偶然拆解成了对话，但却没有那么小品。最喜欢第三个故事，只有女性才会在意外的错误面前制造这样一份浪漫吧。
21_193。全由对话推动的电影，三个故事中第一个真的让我几度想放弃……。第二第三个很好，喜欢第三个。
3.5/略显笨拙的表达难掩一份真诚的情感，于是理性塑造的思维围墙在最后电影的三十分钟被感性慢慢冲破。
Copyright © 2015-2023 All Rights Reserved
