Tmavomodrý svet (2001)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Jan Sverák

Writers:

Zdenek Sverák (story) and
Zdenek Sverák (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 May 2001 (Czech Republic)

Genre:

War | Drama | Action | Romance

Plot:

The friendship of two men becomes tested when they both fall for the same woman.

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Spitfire Aircraft | Fighter Plane | Battle Of Britain | Airplane

Awards:

7 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Ondrej Vetchý	...	Frantisek Sláma
Krystof Hádek	...	Karel Vojtisek
Tara Fitzgerald	...	Susan Whitmore
Charles Dance	...	Wing Commander Bentley
Oldrich Kaiser	...	Jan Machatý
David Novotný	...	Bedrich Mrtvý
Linda Rybová	...	Hanicka Pecharova
Jaromír Dulava	...	Railwayman Kanka
Lukás Kantor	...	Tom Tom
Radim Fiala	...	Jura Sysel
Juraj Bernáth	...	Jan Gregora
Miroslav Táborský	...	Vilha Houf
Hans-Jörg Assmann	...	Doctor Blaschke
Thure Riefenstein	...	German Officer Hesse
Anna Massey	...	English Teacher

Also Known As:

Dark Blue World (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
Leidenschaft in dunklen Tagen (Germany) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

Czech Republic | UK | Germany | Denmark | Italy

Language:

Czech | German | English | Slovak

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-7 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | UK:12 | USA:R | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Czech Republic

Company:

Biograf Jan Sverak

Trivia:

The most expensive Czech movie so far. The most expensive scene from total budget of 8 milion USD is where British Spitfire attacks German train. It cost more than the whole Oscar-winning Sverak's movie Kolya (Kolja).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Spitfires shown as taking part in the Battle of Britain (1940) have four-blade propellers, but the Spitfires used before 1942 had only three-blade propellers.

Quotes:

Oberleutnant Hesse: I understand how you feel. A German officer would shoot himself in a situation like this. But you can... You are a different type of person. Heil Hitler!

Movie Connections:

Edited from Battle of Britain (1969)

Soundtrack:

Americká polka

The film is a gem

Centres on Czech WW2 pilots – the older Frantisek, the boyish impulsive Karel and in the background the quiet piano-playing Honza. As the film opens, it is 1950, the war is over and Frantisek and Honza are imprisoned in a former monastery. In their now Soviet-controlled native country they are 'enemy of the people'. Honza is severely maltreated by his Communist countrymen and dies.

In 1939 many pilots manage to escape German-occupied Europe and make their way to England where they join the RAF. Notwithstanding their high motivation and experience they face RAF reluctance and British stiff upper lip. Finally they fight gallantly in the Battle of Britain. However, Frantisek and Karel find their friendship severely tested when they both fall for the same woman.

In terms of romantic sub-plot, this is very similar to the Hollywood production Pearl Harbour. However, given the context of the film and Frantisek's eventual fate, it is also possible to read the English woman's treatment of the two men as symbolic of British treatment of the Czech and Polish RAF pilots: conveniently forgetting them once the war is over.

In addition, the film is a lot less cliché than Pearl Harbour and the characters are more fully realised. Dark Blue World also scores in terms of its stunning aerial dogfights, which were seamlessly created using a mixture of models, actual live-action aerial filming and out-takes from the 1969 epic The Battle of Britain.

In short, Dark Blue World is a well-made, moving, thought-provoking and exciting drama that puts the likes of Pearl Harbour to shame. Highly recommended.