Czechosłowacka Nowa Fala

by Peter Hames, Justyna Burzyńska (translator), Irena Hansz (translator)

Pod koniec lat sześćdziesiątych kino czechosłowackie zdobyło uznanie publiczności na całym świecie, zwieńczone dwoma Oskarami – dla Sklepu przy głównej ulicy Kádara i Klosa i Pociągów pod specjalnym nadzorem Menzla – na przestrzeni zaledwie trzech lat. W tym samym czasie entuzjastycznie przyjęto również Miłość blondynki i Pali się, moja panno! Formana. Były to jednak tylko najbardziej wyróżniające się dzieła czechosłowackiej Nowej Fali – niecodziennego ruchu filmowego, rozciągającego się od realizmu Jireša, przez surrealizm Švankmajera, aż do eksperymentu feministycznych filmów Chytilovej. Autor nie tylko śledzi początki i opisuje rozwój czechosłowackiej Nowej Fali. Przygląda się również najistotniejszym dziełom powstałym od roku 1930, ukazuje dalsze losy reżyserów debiutujących w latach sześćdziesiątych oraz analizuje wpływ Nowej Fali na współczesne kino czeskie i słowackie.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Art, Czech Literature

336 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1985

About the author

Peter Hames is Honorary Research Associate in Film and Media Studies at Staffordshire University. His books include The Czechoslovak New WaveDark Alchemy: The FIlms of Jan Svankmajer.

Reviews

[Nate D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tracked down because I am completely fascinate/obsessed.

Hames is probably the foremost English-language authority on this subject, and he is extremely knowledgeable, but he focuses largely on the sociopolitcal context and descriptions of the technical, thematic, and stylistic developments of each film. Given the extreme individuality of this movement, someone really needs to write version of this story following the personal narratives of those involved, of what they were doing and how. Of their collaboration, their days as students at FAMU, working together on their earliest films, of how they personally responded to the tumultuous political times they lived through. I want their own words, not a second-hand extrapolation of their feelings and intentions from a Brit who has seen their films. Preferably while virtually all the foremost players (mostly born in the 30s) are still alive and largely still working...

Who speaks Czech and wants to embark on a long project?

[reveurdart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for film fans who loves the Czechoslovak New Wave of the 1960s! I've loved Slovak and Czech cinemas for many years, and especially their New Wave together (many English-centric people don't realize what great film experiences they are misssing, sadly!), so have long wanted to read this particular book. I enjoyed reading this in a slow pace, while re-watching and watching for the first time most of the titles the author mentions. Will be coming back to this again in the future, for sure.

[Giancarlo Beltrame · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un testo ancor oggi fondamentale per conoscere e capire la grande stagione del cinema della Primavera di Praga

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and well-researched. On;y thing is, without the means to view all the films he talks about there's no way to judge his reviews and critiques. I think much of his writing on the obscure films I'll never be able to see will get forgotten. Hames certainly makes me wish more of these films were available to the greater public.

[Wiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting historical/biographical information about a slew of interesting films, if you can get past the obligatory marxist post-grad writing style that is inescapable in pretty much all academic film writing outside of Paglia.

[Caitlin Hazell · Rating 4 out of 5]

dipping in and out so i'm counting this as read and it's dead informative and cute, i want more pictures but i'm a baby like that

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly readable overview of an extraordinary period in film history.

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hames' whistle-stop tour of the Czech New Wave is well researched but his close readings are tame as hell