Rating: 
Summary: A Beautiful Film
Review: I can't recommend this film strongly enough. Even after the tragic events of 2001 it is difficult for most of us in the US to understand the emotion associated with the Czechs who fought alongside the allies during WWII. Most Czechs were forced to live with the nightmare of German occupation where there were few glimers of "normal" life, and fewer of heroism. Many died, some were able to fight back. This film tells the story of a few of the latter, the 3000 flyers who were able to go to Britain and fight with the allies. Don't put much stock in the cries of sentimentality that the reviewers placed on the film. These men gave up everything to fight for the freedom of their country, more so than life or death. The film effectively tells the story of their sacrifices by use of flashback -- the main character is in a political prison after the war, the fate suffered by many flyers who stayed in Czechoslovakia after the communist coup. I don't typically find flashback effective in film (did anybody ever really figure out the beginning of Chariot's of Fire) but I thought this was well done. Done by the team that did Kolya, it is time well spent. Like their previous film, they bring us insight into an important moment in the history of the past century and do it in a touching and elegant fashion.By the way, almost half the film is in English as it takes place in England. It is unique in that way as well. I had the pleasure of seeing this film in Prague at its opening in May 2001 and it was a very pleasant surprise.
Rating: 
Summary: Dark Blue World and Battle of Britain
Review: I viewed this movie for the first time and was expected more from the movie. In my opinion, The Battle of Britain (BOB) with Michael Caine and Lawrence Oliver from 1967 is still the better film. The Battle of Britain film had the advantage of being made only 20 years after the finish of World War II and the producers had access to genuine German and British planes thanks to the Spanish Air Force which were still using those planes. I thought Dark Blue World captures the feel of England and the English countryside, but so does BOB. Its too bad that the producers couldn't have incorporated the Polish struggle against Hitler's Blitz and showed their struggle and eventual move to the RAF in 1940 to fight in the BOB. The film Dark Blue World is worth watching once, but I can't say that is a film that is worth repeated viewings. The 1967 version of BOB gives you better overall history and feel for the actual BOB in 1940. Dark Blue World is worthy of viewing, but not to own. An Average film. Good camera work and acting, but the story is lacking.
Rating:
Summary: Flying Czechs
Review: I watched this film last night (VHS) and found it to be most interesting and well done.
Even though it has a series of flashbacks, from 1950 to 1940, it is pretty easy to follow the storyline and the characters.
The subtitles won't slow you down either.
It mainly follows the adventures of a group of Czechs who flee German occupied homeland and seek to fight with the British against the Germans.
It starts a bit slow, but picks up with some very good scenes that are handled by a gifted director. Once the group begins flying against the Germans, a change takes place in the film. There are more Spitfires than you can shake out of a birch tree. Some stunning and incredibly intense action sequences that are on the level of any other film of this type. The air to ground attacks are top notch and will get your attention.
The Czechs speak Czech, the Germans German and the British, of course, the Queen's English - some touching scenes when the pilots are being taught English. Worth the time to view and enjoy this little Czech gem.
Ironmike
Rating: 
Summary: Dark Blue World - An instant classic!
Review: I'm quickly realizing that there are some unbelievably good foreign films out there (I own about a half-dozen now). My wife and I watched Dark Blue World on DVD this weekend. It is one of the best epic war movies that I've ever seen and a very fine DVD release. The cinematography was amazing and the Dolby Digital mix was stunning. I felt as if there really were Spitfires and BF-109s flying through my living room! In case you haven't heard of it, Dark Blue World is about Czech fighter pilots who fought for the RAF during World War II. In addition to an amazing history lesson, it was one of the best war screenplays I've ever seen and was wonderfully acted and directed. This is the first movie in a long, long time that I really felt connected to the characters. It makes me want to see more from this director and these actors. Jan Sverák should have been nominated for Best Director. Ondrej Vetchý (as Frantisek Sláma), Krystof Hádek (as Karel Vojtisek), and Tara Fitzgerald (as Susan) were all outstanding. It is rare that you see a movie so well balanced with stellar performances. Even the dog was perfectly cast (you'll know what I mean when the tears are rolling down your face as the main character has to leave her behind)! Most of the movie is in Czech with English subtitles, which is refreshing. Hearing everything in the correct language sure does make the experience so much more fulfilling. It has the best aerial combat scenes in any film, ever. You'd think that you were seeing very high-quality historical film of the real thing. I'm a pilot and, as such, I'm extremely demanding in this area for accuracy down to the last detail. Let me tell you that the production staff for Dark Blue World didn't miss any detail. The combat sequences will take your breath away and really leave you with an appreciation for the sacrifices made by these pilots. Even though I just saw it a couple of days ago, I'm gonna watch it again really soon. You won't be disappointed!!! I think that this film is the sleeper hit of 2001. It has my unqualified recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: excellent film, dvd lacking a bit......
Review: I'm sure that you can tell by all of the reviews below that the film is excellent. It is very well done and is one of the best films (not just foreign films) I have ever seen...period! The DVD has some very nice behind-the-scenes features and even the original Czech trailer, but the subtitles have been done rather poorly. Even when English is being spoken on-screen, there are still subtitles.....it is a bit like captions and is very annoying. The English cannot be turned off, because the languages switch back and forth so quickly. That is my main gripe about this edition and the reason why I only gave this dvd 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Great film
Review: If this film has nothing else, it has possibly the most realistic flight sequences I have seen...beautiful camera work. The storyline could be considered a bit predictable but somehow, the ending managed to slip by my 'Got this one figured out' radar (don't know how that happened really...must have gotten distracted by the subtitles) Overall, It makes my top 5 WWII movie list
Rating:
Summary: not pearl harbor
Review: If you read lukewarm reviews of this film, ignore them; they were just blowback from Pearl Harbor. Apparently (I've not seen Pearl Harbor), there are some surface similarities between the two movies--the WWII setting; two friends who are a fliers; a shared love interest--and I suppose that scenario could be considered cliched, but it seems as if critics, who uniformly hated Pearl Harbor, were unwilling to judge Dark Blue World on its own merits. Their reviews are mostly petulant complaints about having to sit through a Czech version of the prior Hollywood flop. The fascinating story here, based on historical events, involves a veteran Czech pilot, Franta (Ondrej Vetchy), and a fresh-scrubbed young farm boy, Karel (Krystof Hádek). >As this too simple description suggests, there's ample ammunition here for critics who wanted to dismiss the film as cliched. But what it's not possible to convey here is how affecting the film is, especially the great love portrayed, which as in all war movies is not the physical love between Franta and Susan but the comradely love of Franta and Karel, who share so much, but ultimately too much. And the point is that their relationship works and it draws us in. They are very likable--the one eager and innocent; the other more experienced and reserved. They're something of an odd match but we can see what they provide to one another, especially in such trying times. We care about them. We ache when they hurt each other. We want them to patch things up. We feel ennobled by the sacrifices they make for one another. We can fathom how beautiful yet painful Franta's memories must be to him and why they would remain so close to the surface of his mind. Indeed, Ondrej Vetchy is especially good as Franta, with his soulful, mournful eyes and the rare gravity he brings to the character. By the end of the film he's experienced so much loss--to the Nazis, to the Communists, of his friends, of lovers--but there's still a calm dignity that compels our attention and earns our respect. We're a couple years on now and maybe folks have forgotten about Pearl Harbor. Heck, I don't think anyone saw it but the critics anyway. So pick up Dark Blue World and watch it for itself, not in order to compare it to some other film. It is a lovely movie. GRADE : A
Rating:
Summary: Better'n Ya-Yas
Review: It's a full meal of a film, the kind that hints to you throughout that you're only seeing part of a larger, worthwhile story. Having seen it the same week as we saw "Ya-Ya Sisterhood," it's a little embarrassing to see what's popular and what you have to go digging for in films. I'm a pseudo WWII and airplane fan, the result of my partner's genuine knowledge and enthusiasm for those subjects. Maybe this is a woman's war film. What we do wonder is why there seems to be no book credit. Anybody know? We checked the credits twice and dug around online. Can't seem to find a movie score either. After a short visit in Prague, where the first thing we saw was a wonderful street band playing "The Moldau" right next to the river--gave us the shivers. We like playing their CD we bought on the spot, and we'd like to have the music from this film. The Czech language is beautiful to listen to. Even the recorded voice on the streetcars in Prague is seductive. See the movie. Visit the Czech Republic!
Rating:
Summary: New Sentimentalist "wave" of Czech cinema
Review: Just as uncritically as the Czechs adopted the way of U.S. capitalism, the Holywood formula of uncompromising melodrama became the easy way out for the two prominent gold-diggers of Prague - the Sverak tandem of father and son.
"Kolya" is the case in point, its winning the "foreign" Oscar proves the elective affinity here, just as the nonsensical French "Amelie" did later. The soundtrack is mandatory - without the music steering the viewer emotionally we do not have a real compass around such creations.
Now the "Dark Blue World"... The subject is too painfull to discuss with those Czechs who were there. Their illusions of British nobleness and drawing room grace were weakened after Munich treaty anyway. The fact that they often came back from the sorties with more kills than the Brits got the open season for backbiting and petty jealousy underway. It never stopped and gave the poor bastards the illusion that they would be better off in their homeland they helped to free.
Mr. Sverak had an ample opportunity to talk to those who are still in the Czech Republic and interpret this information into a spicy film with a lot of post-Munich hindsight (artistic licence ?), instead he chose the french formula "let's hold off on facts as long as possible". I know that he was informed by his Holywood friends that every successful "movie" must have a romantic interest built in it, with a female, if possible. A triangle gives it, supposedly, a uniquelly Czech twist - bravo.. Other than that, the cinematography was terrific, there were at least three well managed segments, especially those with Fitzgerald woman, vaguely reminiscent of the Ike's affair in England. Next, the Sverak clan should check (no pun), into the story of the ritual sacrifice of men at Dunkirk where the Czech reconaissance informed their British command of the German Wehrmacht napping. They ignored the intelligence and paid for it dearly. But, there were no women around, so the story is hard to clean up. And Cornelius Ryan was nowhere near this mess to help.
The three stars ?? I am being kind, because I know that you, the Anglo-American movie-goer, will love this stuff.
Rating:
Summary: The best war buddy movie!
Review: Just watched this movie (DVD) and still pontificating about the relationship between the two main characters - Slama and Karel. Am going to watch it again - the more I think about it the more I discovered - such was the complexities of their friendship and bonding. Watch it - you'll be heart-wrenched at the end!
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