This film is a very good example of the often encountered characteristic of Czech cinematography of breaking down the big picture into the fates of simple people. Director Jan Hřebejk, screenwriter Petr Jarchovský and cameraman Jan Malíř already achieved this with regard to the Prague Spring in the film "Pelíšky" from 1999 (which was already shown on Film Wednesday), and a year later with regard to the even more difficult subject of the Nazi era with this film. That might explain the great success of both films.

Films about the cruel time of the Holocaust, war and occupation are usually characterized by an oppressive severity that hardly seems avoidable. In "Musíme si pomáhat" these major themes are by no means ignored, and yet the focus on the character and behavior of individual people and a hidden but noticeable humor give the film a certain lightness. Unlike many films about that time, you don't leave this film depressed.

What is also remarkable is how - probably especially screenwriter Petr Jarchovský - managed to design characters who evade a clear assessment of good and evil and therefore appear very human. The Cizeks are not shining, infallible heroes, the slimy and sometimes disgusting Horst is not just bad, and the judgmental neighbors also have their own shit on their hands.

In addition, there was no great showmanship. If this were a Hollywood film, the various possibilities for creating great drama, feelings and tension would not have gone unused. Here, however, much more attention is paid to the drawing of the figures in their difficult but everyday situations.

(This is an automatic translation by Google Translator.)

CZ 2000, 120 min, OmdtU

Director: Jan Hřebejk

Actors: Bolek Polívka, Csongor Kassai, Jaroslav Dušek, Anna Šišková

(This is an automatic translation by Google Translator.)