Search - Black Peter on DVD

Work of a genius

Pinaki Ghosh | Austin, TX USA | 05/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Czech director Milos Forman won first prize at the Locarno film festival for his first feature film, Black Peter. This coming-of-age story about a shy teenager who falls in love, bears the heavy influence of Francois Truffaut, as do most other "new wave" productions of the era. Even at this early stage, however, Forman's film-making prowess enabled him to transcend any and all imitations. In some areas, the film bore the title Peter and Pavla, reflecting the fact that pretty young Pavla Martinkova played the girl. Black Peter was originally released in Czechoslovakia in 1963 under the title Cerny Petr.

It is one of Foreman's all time classics and also one of the great movies of the last century which was not truly appreciated - as a kid I was used to seeing the great works of Ray (Apu Trilogy) and Ray was greatly influenced by Traffaut and Renoir so to me this movie was close to home and some time I could easily recognize as a work of a master. The black and white photography is absolutely superb. You will notice how little set up of technology is used to make a classic - this is a mark of a great director - another trait is how they get results from their actors -even not so famous actors produce memorable (almost unforgettable) characters. But watching this movie is not easy - you have to first develop the taste by watching movies from directors like Ray, Kurosawa and great Eisentein. This movie is more like caviar since it is a very very special flavor so either you will love it or you will hate it but nobody is at fault. The communist era life style is portrait in its true flavor and even the mundane characters draw attention through minors or weirdness. This movie should be in your collection is you are a serious collector.
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Dang Jerry posted too late

Whodany | Miami Beach | 12/11/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I already bought this DVD. He is right in all aspects. They are charging a Criterion price for a cheap VHS to DVD transfer. Things like this should be illegal. A clear rip off.

Whodany"