1978 ‘Panna a netvor’ Directed by Juraj Herz
Julie, the youngest daughter of a bankrupt merchant, sacrifices her life in order to save her father. She goes to an enchanted castle in the woods and meets Netvor, a bird-like monster. As Netvor begins to fall in love with Julie, he must suppress his beastly urge to kill her.
La bella y la bestia, Giulia e il mostro, Die Jungfrau und das Ungeheuer, Piekna i potwór, Die Schöne und das Ungeheuer, Красавица и чудовище, La belle et la bête, A Bela e a Fera, La virgen y el monstruo
"Give her proof of your love!
-Yes?
-Kill her before she sees you.
-No!
-So kill yourself.
-How?
-Let her go."
This is my second foray into the Czech(oslovak) new wave movement, after seeing Jaromil Jireš' Valerie and Her Week of Wonders some months ago and absolutely loving it. Beauty feels even more like a fairytale than Valerie did, and it's a darker one at that.
The cinematography here is quite spectacular, truly an "every frame a painting" sort of deal. The movie has a bit of a glacial pacing to it, but I didn't mind since it was always so (visually) compelling.
I loved how the beast's appearance differed from other renditions of the story. Some very intricate make-up/mask work went into this.
A remarkable movie.
when he TOUCHED HER FACE AND NECK AND HAIR AND FACE HER FACE WITH HIS HANDS AND HIS HANDS ON HER FACE WOOOOOOOO BOOOOOYEe I oh mY GOOOOOOOSSHH WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWE I STOPPED BREATHING
A dark retelling of a classic fairytale with lavish sets, ethereal dreamlike sequences and a beautiful score. The entire film is steeped in gothic imagery, shrouded in mystique and sets itself apart from more popular Beauty and the Beast incarnations.
Panna a Netvor is brimming with fantasy quintessense; from elaborate costuming, decadent castles and meticulous set pieces. It's such a captivating, transportive piece and is undoubtedly one of the most visually arresting films I've ever seen. I love its theatrical nature and how subtly it captures the transition from autumn to winter. I equally love how the films visuals are perfectly echoed in the haunting organ and piano music.
Unconventionally, the Beast is vicious and blood thirsty ;depicted as half…
🎅Daily Ho-Ho-Horror Hunt #18 – Decembrrrr 2019🎅
2. Watch a horror movie based on a story you would tell a child.
Yeah, maybe don't show this one to a child... nightmares for days. I had always assumed this was directed by Walerian Borowczyk, director of the wonderfully obscene The Beast from 1975. I think I added this to my watchlist right after watching that classic, so there's the confusion. Juraj Herz is no slouch though, he created a favorite of mine in The Cremator, so I'm happy he's on this. He makes for a much less... stickier film to say the least. No throbbing beast dongs to be seen.
As far as the film goes, it's absolutely stunning. It captures…
Almost nothing in Juraj Herz's Beauty and the Beast is clean. It takes place in a filthy world, one full of mud and decay; of greed and corruption. It's a world in which even those whose souls yearn for goodness cannot survive unless they stray; a world in which the best of men is a murderer and an enslaver.
In the center of this world, trapped in its caldron of filth and human degradation, is Julie. Julie is all sweetness and purity, such a brilliant light of goodness that the dirt can't touch her — so pure that, when cursed hands reach for her, they're instantly cleansed. The world Julie sees is one of endless potential, in which everyone deserves the…
Visually stunning. The sets, costumes, and makeup effects are all wonderful, as is the organ and piano driven centered score. Incredibly captivating and theatrical performance from the Beast.
This is my favorite rendition of Beauty and The beast, I'd put it above the Disney one. It leans more into horror with some genuinely disturbing imagery but it's also really beautiful. it's incredibly atmospheric as well with a beautiful gothic style. The creature designs were fantastic and unnerving. The score was also great. It's bleak, which I loved, but it also has a cute little happy ending that always makes me tear up🥰 check it out it's so underappriciated.
It's on Youtube
The long period of Czechoslovakia's "normalization", AKA government-mandated censorship and restrictions after the 7 months of riotous freedom during the Prague Spring, left many of the New Wave filmmakers with little hope for prosperous careers given the tight control and suppression anything with artistic, critical intent was given, and not much could be done about this for a few decades. Juraj Herz, a man who loved to immerse himself in genre films due to the macabre and darkly humorous themes he could pluck from a genre like horror, found a loophole where he could still make the bold and boundary-pushing films he wanted while still maintaining a profitable career if he worked under the fantasy genre, since authorities naively assumed…
i bought a copy from the Czech Republic off eBay just so i could watch this and oh my god it was so worth it i’m crying just mmmmmm w0w
Quest for the Green Map #53 - Czechoslovakia
I knew that I would be fascinated by this somber, Czech take on the French fairytale, but I didn't expect to actually be emptionally invested. The performances helped; the- "not a bird, not a beast, not a man" always had a strikingly sympathetic look in his eye, and he's effectively uncomfortable to look at. Julie (aka Beauty or Virgin according the translation of the title actually being The Virgin and the Monster) fits in perfectly as a fairytale character, acting like someone in a dreamlike haze and/or under a spell. And as always with Czech Cinema-there's some interesting cinematography and editing which add to the mood nicely.
Part of jvince's 31 Days of Horror: 2013
The Good: The cinematography is just flat-out stunning. They totally nailed the otherworldly, dreamlike atmosphere. Perfect locations. Impressive costumes and make-up. Amazing musical score. I also love how the Beast in this version doesn't look like your typical Beast. Instead, he's some strange, bird-looking creature that's like a cross between a wild thing and Gollum.
The Bad: Nothing major.
The Bottom Line: Man, those Czechs are pretty damn good when it comes to surrealism. Call me crazy, but I think this is the best Beauty and the Beast adaptation around. I liked it more than both Jean Cocteau's black-and-white classic and Disney's beloved cartoon. What a gem. I can't believe this isn't more popular. If you like your fairy tales dark and fucked up, you definitely have to see this film. Recommended.
