Zelary

Three Stars

My wife coaxed me out to a little old theater called the Tower on the outskirts of the University of Utah campus to see "Zelary". "Zelary" is an eye opening look at life in WWII Czechoslovakia. Our heroine volunteers to help a resistance movement against the governing Nazi's from time to time and after nearly exposing herself on one mission, is spirited away to the countryside to avoid capture and death. The majority of the film follows her adaptation to a new life with a new identity.

This is a remarkably well made movie. The writers and directors weave an incredibly intricate tale of a budding romance that grows from a forced marriage and the ascimilation into life in the mountainous back country of Czechoslovakia. The characters are the lifeblood of this movie. The focus is on the people, their travails and this fascinating look into their lives. Equally stunning is the beautiful countryside that frames this film and grandeur captured though some excellent cinematography.

Zelary failed me most of all in the conclusion. It was not implausible but out of character and seemingly concocted last minute out of necessity. It was such a leap from the previous two hours and so brief that it seemed like it would have been more worthwhile to exclude the last two minutes entirely.

The only other major point of contention is the graphic nature of the film. It is not for the light hearted, even though the love story would draw such viewers. There were repeated rape attempts, most quite gratuitous and very poignant. They were realistic enough to make my stomach churn. This film would bear an "R" rating in The States and is not for the faint of heart.

Bear in mind that there is no english spoken in Zelary however subtitles are provided. Reading subtitles is second nature to me but I know that it bothers some people so be aware of that small fact.