Ďáblova past
Directed by:
František VláčilCinematography:
Rudolf MiličComposer:
Zdeněk LiškaCast:
Miroslav Macháček, Vítězslav Vejražka, Čestmír Řanda st., Karla Chadimová, Vít Olmer, Vlastimil Hašek, Bedřich Karen, František Kovářík, Zdeněk Kutil (more)Plots(1)
The freeborn miller Spálený is a thorn in the side of the regent Valečský. The regent does not like that people respect the miller for his wisdom, goodness and knowledge of nature. Therefore the regent reacts with hatred to the miller's warning against the construction of a new darn at a place that is called "The Sunken Spot". He even tells his guest, Bishop Diettrichstein, that the miller and his family are suspected of witchcraft. A long time ago, Swedish soldiers put the mill on fire but the miller's family escaped as if by a miracle. The bishop sends a fanatic priest, probably a significant Church dignitary, to help the regent. The priest, too, thinks that the miller is detrimental to the reputation of the Church. He therefore searches through the mill, talks both to the miller and his son Jan and tries to convict them. He recruits the gamekeeper Filip, who is fond of Jan's girlfriend Martina. The priest's hatred gets even stronger when the miller succeeds in finding a spring of water during the droughts and the regent's new barn sinks in the course of the village dance. After this accident, the miller disappears. The priest tries to bully the villagers into turning against him, but he fails. Therefore he rides with the regent and Filip to the mill. There, Jan finds a letter in which his father describes the way to the underground. Soon afterwards, the priest, the regent and Filip walk into the underground and set off down the corridor that the father warned Jan against. All three die. Jan and Martina are freed. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (5)
A delicacy with the seal of Vláčil's unique vision. True, compared to Marketa Lazarová, it is formally quite light, it lacks the precise game of symbols, but the perfect and unique camera of Rudolf Milíč and the soundtrack, which create a strangely subjective and bizarre world, stand out all the more. The story is a traditional image of the clash between dogma and natural forces, reinforced by an underground three-path motif (one path is blind, the second deadly, and the third leads to the goal) and clearly defined characters (a venomous inquisitor, a vile regent, a natural miller and finally, a pair of lovers). It can't be said that The Devil's Trap is something amazing in terms of the script - it's a relatively simple allegory without much depth, but the way Vláčil tells it (or rather how he makes the viewer feel) bears a clear hallmark of film genius and uniqueness. After the lukewarm introduction, I completely succumbed to the film and was literally wrapped in its audio-visual magic. Few people can do what František Vláčil can...
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Thanks to the combination of top-notch camera work, smart editing, and collaboration with Zdeněk Liška, Vláčil's strong weapon became the creation of a suggestive atmosphere. This was also supported by the use of black and white material and Vláčil's lucky hand in selecting the actors. Miroslav Macháček plays the lead role of a priest - a fanatical opponent of the Reformation - in The Devil's Trap. His skillful human manipulator, cunning intriguer, and ruthless power player is a character that is unforgettable. The story is weaker and the film certainly does not match the quality of Vláčil's pinnacle works such as Marketa Lazarová or The Valley of the Bees, but I think anyone who is willing to embark on a journey with the curious and fearless miller to the Moravian Karst in the first third of the 18th century will not be disappointed. Overall impression: 75%.
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On the one hand, we have Macháček’s “five-star" priest Probus, richness of interpretation, visual delight and an atmosphere which is pretty darn pleasant. On the other, we find a certain tiredness (despite it being so short), estrangement and mainly the dime novel ending. Saying that this is a good movie is like saying I’m a Slavia fan. A goddam lie.
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Perfect camera, actors who create an atmosphere that cannot be repeated within two sentences, and metaphorical mysticism in full force. And as the sweetest bonus, symbolism that doesn't try to kill me six years before Marketa Lazarová.
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Such a slow and yet such a gripping film. And how fantastic it looks - from the very first shot! Well, František Vláčil. For some, The Devil's Trap may be just a prelude to Marketa Lazarová and The Valley of the Bees, but for me it is a full-fledged historical drama about people, nature, God and the devil. Miroslav Macháček gave a great performance.
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