Wednesday, May 23, 2012

The End of August at the Hotel Ozone (1967)

The End of August at the Hotel Ozone • Konec srpna v Hotelu Ozon (1967)
The End of August at the Hotel Ozone • Konec srpna v Hotelu Ozon (1967)
Czech New Wave
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama
Director: Jan Schmidt
Starring: Jitka Horejsi, Ondrej Jariabek, Beta Ponicanová, Vanda Kalinová
Language: Czech
Duration: 77 min.
Rating: 7.5
Summary:
In a post-apocalyptic world, several years after a nuclear holocaust, a group of women wander the land in search of other survivors.
The End of August at the Hotel Ozone aka Late August at the Hotel Ozone, is a film directed by Jan Schmidt from a screenplay written by Pavel Jurácek. It was the third collaboration from these two important figures of the Czech New Wave, following the two short films Black and White Sylva (1961) and Joseph Kilian (1965). Interestingly it was also the first film to be distributed by American studio New-Line Cinema.

Billed as 'A Mad Max directed by Andrei Tarkovsky', by the American Cinematheque, I wouldn't say that is a truly accurate statement, but it's pretty close. It is bleak and atmospheric and hardly anything happens at all but it remains engrossing until the end, I'd describe it as something like a cross between Meeks Cutoff and Haneke's Le temps du loup.

The film begins with a most chilling sequence, a simple montage replaying the last moments before nuclear war, while voices count down the seconds to global destruction in several different languages. It then jumps forward fifty odd years, where the only human survivors left are a small group of young women led by an elderly mother (Beta Ponicanová), the only one left who remembers what the world was like before the war.

She leads them, I say that loosely because mostly she just tries to keep order, while they wander across the landscape hunting for food, scavenging for supplies, and searching for signs of other possible survivors (men in particular) hoping to somehow rebuild humanity. Though it soon becomes evident as we watch them in their daily routines that these women just might be too far removed from civilization, too savage, and too cruel, to ever be productive even if they found it. Warning, there are some vicious and disturbing scenes of animal cruelty that are probably not simulated used to strike home this point.

The black and white cinematography is presented with a square ratio and a grey and muddy look to it, not exactly stunning but that actually fits well with the gloomy tone of the film. There are also some interesting Bressonian close-ups of hands and feet and a few other inventive shots in motion throughout.

It's unfortunate that the film is rather short, and that there isn't much of a story, because it's one of the more fascinating and original end of the world scenarios I've seen. A bit disappointing that it didn't live up to potential, however I do still recommend it for its strong atmosphere, that is if you can handle the killing of animals.
Bonjour Tristesse
The End of August at the Hotel Ozone • Konec srpna v Hotelu Ozon (1967)

The End of August at the Hotel Ozone • Konec srpna v Hotelu Ozon (1967)

The End of August at the Hotel Ozone • Konec srpna v Hotelu Ozon (1967)

The End of August at the Hotel Ozone • Konec srpna v Hotelu Ozon (1967)

The End of August at the Hotel Ozone • Konec srpna v Hotelu Ozon (1967)

The End of August at the Hotel Ozone • Konec srpna v Hotelu Ozon (1967)

The End of August at the Hotel Ozone • Konec srpna v Hotelu Ozon (1967)

The End of August at the Hotel Ozone • Konec srpna v Hotelu Ozon (1967)

5 comments:

Michaël Parent said...

Very good review! I'll check this one! Looks great!

d_4 said...

If I watch it.. it'll be to suit the mood of being disturbed. Or maybe just that clenching gut feeling. It just feels that between the atmosphere and the animal death it'd be that kind of film for me.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Thanks Michaël. It is worth checking out if you get the chance.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

You are right, it definitely is that kind of film.

Christine said...

So glad you've been introducing me to all these great Czech films.

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