Já, Olga Hepnarová

Olga Hepnarova was the last woman to be executed in the Czech Republic and for mass murder, no less so don't expect a barrel of laughs. Shot in chilly black and white, (more a wintry gray, in fact), Petr Kazda and Tomas Weinreb's film is a depressing study of a psychotic personality. In the title role Michalina Olszanska doesn't so much act as exists and barely at that. Although she never off the screen it's as if she's been vaporized, living in a shadow where the real person should be. I suppose in some respects the film falls into much the same category as "The Honeymoon Killers" or "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer" but they were lively, jolly affairs compared to this. With its strong lesbian element perhaps a more fitting comparison would be with "Monster" in which Charlize Theron played Aileen Wuornos. Worth seeing but grim.

To fully appreciate this film one probably should have a minimum knowledge about psychiatry and of schizophrenia in general.

The main character in this film, Olga Hepnarova, is IMO one of the best depictions of a schizophrenic person I've ever seen in a movie. In this regard, the movie makers did an extraordinary good job. The atmosphere of the film is dark, yet the individual scenes are often banal and the dialogues short and often flat and trivial. This however is not of disadvantage to the movie as one would expect. It actually helps to unfold to the viewer the deep, but chaotic and hate-focused thoughts that go inside the mind of Hepnarova. The scenes where she contemplates the traumatizing experiences of her life are deep and sad, showing that she is a very complex and deeply thinking person, but at the same time they succeed to NOT depict her as a martyr, which she clearly fails to be. She despises society and is fond to do it a favor (by killing herself) only in her best life-time when she's deeply in love (with her lesbian lover). Hepnarova is evil, but in the movie it looks more like real-world-evil with its full complexity and context, not the common flat movie-evil known from pop-culture. This also adds to the uniqueness of the movie and probably makes many viewers to sympathize with her. Not to mention the great acting by Michalina Olszanska.

I would appreciate more family scenes in the film. I think it would be beneficial for a better understanding of Hepnarova's mind. In particular the roots of her hatred towards her family. But in conclusion I have to take my hat off to the movie makers, they exactly knew what they wanted to deliver and they delivered it. A sad depiction of a sick mind driven to the edge (partially by the society and partially by herself) until the bitter end.

The movie plunges us into a world of nihilism, where the darkness of the human psyche reigns supreme. It is a portrait of a young woman who is disillusioned with society and driven to commit a heinous crime. The movie explores the depths of human despair and the impact of social isolation on the individual psyche.

Director Tomas Weinreb and Petr Kazda don't shy away from the darkness that engulfs Olga's world. They craft a bleak and unrelenting atmosphere, one that is suffused with a sense of futility and despair. The cinematography is austere and bleak, reflecting the emotional landscape of the protagonist.

The movie presents a provocative challenge to the viewer's values and beliefs. It forces us to confront the darker aspects of the human condition and consider the ways in which society fails to address the needs of its most vulnerable members. It is a stark reminder that the human psyche is a fragile and complex thing, one that can be pushed to the brink of madness under the right conditions.

In movie, Weinreb and Kazda have created a chilling portrait of a young woman who is pushed to the edge by a society that refuses to accept her. It is a powerful reminder of the need for compassion, empathy, and understanding in a world that can be so cold and unforgiving.

Tackling a very difficult subject in a rigid social environment like communist Czechoslovakia in the 70's, this film has done it great!

The female lead -the very young Polish actress Michalina Olszanska is doing the impossible while portraying an extremely complex character that no-one would otherwise understand or empathize.

The cinematic recreation of the atmosphere of Prague in the early 70's is so true, that this this black & white film looks like it was really shot in the Seventies. Only the stable digital image suggests else.

I do recommend this movie to all sensitive viewers who wish to look deeper in to the human and social issues.

Very good psychological drama held in Czekoslovachia. Despite show, it has a quite good pace. Direction, black and white cinematography, acting (particularly cute Michalina Olszanska)... everything is good.