简介:Mannheim-Heidelberg International FilmfestivalYearResultAwardCategory/Recipient(s)1969 Won Grand PrizeDusan HanákA government official in Czechoslovakia mistakenly believes he has cancer. He reasons his involvement in clandestine activities during the Stalin administration have fated him to die from a dreaded disease. He searches for inner peace as he feels the guilt of his past transgressions. This film tied for the Grand Prize at the Mannheim Film Festival in 1969.Slovak director Dusan Hanak was one of Czech cinema's brightest and best talents of the '60s and '70s, but because of censorship this was not manifest until the late '80s. Dusan made an impact on the film world with his auspicious debut 322 (1969). Though banned until 1988, when it was finally released, it earned international acclaim and the Grand Prix award at the Mannheim Film Festival. Hanak's sophomore effort, the documentary Obrazy Stareho Sveta/Image of an Old World (completed in 1972), was also not released until 1988 and neither was his 1980 film Ja Milujem, Ty Milujes/I Love You, You Love. Only Hanak's 1976 film Ruzove Sny/Rose-Tinted Dreams passed muster with censors and saw a timely release.
简介:In the spring of 1944 an RAF Mosquito Squadron are ordered to attack a German rocket fuel plant in Norway. The mission involves flying up a heavily defended fjord and bombing a cliff overhang in an attempt to bury the factory, which is built into the rock.I bought this on DVD in a '3 for £20' offer, as I had fond memories of it from childhood, and it had been around 20 years since I last remember seeing it. I have to say that it's not nearly as good as I remembered it to be. The plot is full of cliches and there's the inevitable love interest for the lead. That said, there are points to recommend it. Cliff Robertson gives another reliable performance as the Wing Commander in charge of the squadron, and there are equally dependable turns from Harry Andrews and Donald Houston. The numerous flying sequences with the Mosquito Bombers are expertly filmed, and it's a real bonus to finally see the film in its correct 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The special effects aren't bad for 1964, and Ron Goodwin's famous score underpins the whole venture.The main problem that I have with the film is that it borrows heavily from 'The Dam Busters' in terms of plot, without ever scaling the heights (no pun intended) of that classic. It may have lush Panavision photography, better effects etc., but lacks the nail biting tension and expertly constructed drama of its predecessor. However, it's perfectly acceptable entertainment, if somewhat abrupt at the end.Was the above comment useful to you?