Viimne reliikvia

If there's one Estonian film you have to watch in your lifetime, it's this one. It plays out like a Hollywood sword and sandal epic. There's romance and action and tension, beautiful damsel in distress, swashbuckling hero and a moustached villain. Check it out!

The movie is great, but half of it is far away from the book. They had the main point: Agnes has to marry von Mönnikhusen for the sacred bones to get back to the monastery; Agnes escapes with Gabriel; falls in love and so on. But those guys forgot that Agnes`s father is alive and HE asked Gabriel to became one of his men, not von Mönnikhusen. But: Ivo Shenckenberg is actually historical person and the war and rising against the masters are historical parts too. Outside the cameras: Ursula (Eve Kivi) knew to tell that Gabriel (Aleksandr Goloborodko) became a father at the moment they were shooting the scene where Gabriel was fastened up to the tree and one of Shenkenbergs men told him: "Sure, raisk!" (Die, sod!)

'The Last Relic' is one of the most beloved movie in Estonia. Wonderful characters, nice location shots, lighthearted adventure and clever humor. Again. Estonians love humor.

Director Grigori Kromanov's first intentions were to create serious historical philosophical movie exploring the mythos of free man, but he was force to take much adventurous-romantic view point. The witty dialogue and catchy songs (that has became classics their own) really carry the film. And the songs, did the authors intend it or not, have actually quite deep meanings, and add quite much to the director's wanted philosophical point. The film is also historically quite inaccurate - the character of Ivo Schenkenberg has gotten very free artistic interpretation in this film. He is real historical person, but was known as heroic fighter and leader of Estonian fighters against Russian army in Livonian War. Of course, Soviet regime didn't like depicting him as a heroic character in the film. That aside, Schenkenberg played by Peeter Jakobi is probably one of the most memorable characters in Estonian cinema.

The sword fight scenes look dame even compared to it's contemporaries. One part of that can be blamed the Soviet regime who had quite heavy regulations considering fighting and violence on the screen. At least we can get a glimpse of Ingrida Andrina's (Agnes) nipples, that somehow past the eyes of censor.

This is the greatest achievement in the Estonian history. If Estonia would have been independent at the time, this movie would have got an Academy Award. Anyway it's a masterpiece, that makes me proud to be an Estonian!!!

"Viimne reliikvia" or "The Last Relic" in English is one of the best Estonian films during the times. With very beautiful music and actors it will be long memorable even for foreigners to say nothing about Estonians. Some of the tag-lines from this film have become as proverbs in Estonia.

For me, as Estonian, "The Last Relic" always makes a warm feeling inside. It remembers the times we were under foreign powers. Together we have overcome them and are free now. We are small, yes, but sturdy. I have seen it 4 times so far and would watch it again and again..

I like the fact that there are also Latvians acting together with Estonians, it somehow.. unites. There are also English subtitles available.