Kind of like a "comedy". The film adaptation of the novel "The Adventures of the Brave Soldier Schweik" by the famous Czech writer Yaroslav Hasek, staged in 1957 by the Czechoslovak Republic. I have read the book, and I want to officially declare that this is a boring and disgusting graphomania, which is not finished yet (due to the death of the writer). The main character causes only irritation and hatred, although according to the writer's idea, he should cause sweetness, irony and laughter. I feel sorry for my time that I spent on this writing. So why did I decide to see the painting? I was just lent a DVD with this picture, and after looking at it, I decided to write my review. And here's my brief opinion for you - The Adventures of a round idiot. Despite my rejection of the original source, the screenplay pleased me. Therefore, I will write down both the pros and cons, because even if I don't like the picture, I still try to find the pros in it, in order to be honest with you, dear readers, and with myself. Therefore, I finish such a long introduction, and get to the point.
So, the pros:
1. The script - and although the picture almost verbatim quotes the original source (or rather the first part of it), it does not annoy. We are shown Prague before the outbreak of the First World War and its first months. In the center of the story, Josef Schweik is a Czech idiot and speculator who rushes to the front in the name of the emperor. And then she took off. The book itself ridicules militarism and strongly mocks the foundations of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. And all this is twisted around the personality of an idiot (by the way, this is not an insult, but a medical fact) A Schweik who gets into different situations. And since there is a second part of "Schweik at the front", the picture ends with a hint of a sequel, which was released in the same 1957.
2. The main character - Schweik in the picture looks much more interesting and funnier than in the book, in which he caused only irritation. It should be recognized that the whole picture is drawn by Schweik in a good performance by Rudolf Grushinsky, who looks very similar to the book Schweik with illustrations by Josef Lada. Grushinsky looks just cute and funny, and has not yet managed to do the deeds from the second part of the book, so it's nice to watch.
3. Atmosphere - the creators managed to recreate the atmosphere of Prague at the beginning of the First World War without using expensive tools: full-scale shooting in Prague, several rooms with suitable furnishings and of course costumes with special attention to the military uniforms of the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Army.
There is also good music in the picture.
So, the cons:
1. Humor - for a picture in the genre of "comedy" there are no jokes at all, from the word at all. There is satire, there are funny situations (which will not even make you smile), there is ridicule of militarism, but there is no humor. I don't know, maybe in the late fifties the audience laughed at this, but now it doesn't even cause a smile. Although the great Chaplin created even earlier, but you can laugh at his paintings and laugh again, because there was humor there. So it's about the screenwriters who couldn't cope with the task of making the viewer laugh. For "comedy" this circumstance is a significant minus.
2. The absence of a single funny episode - there is only one funny episode in the book that really works, because this is a dialogue between Schweik and a "fake" officer, whose hero serves as an orderly. This is a dialogue for several pages, but how wonderful it is. This is in the first half of the book, and it is this dialogue that is not in the film adaptation? Are you kidding me?
3. Boredom - the picture is simply boring to watch, even despite the presence of funny moments. Even the large volume of events that were taken from the book does not save from boredom. It turns out that looking at the ceiling can be extremely useful. It's boring, despite the hour-and-a-half chronometers (I watched the black-and-white Soviet version from Lenfilm, in which they cut out a little over ten minutes).
A little about the main characters:
1. Joseph Schweik, played by Rudolf Grushinsky, is a Prague speculator, a clinical idiot, who is destined for a very interesting life full of adventures, because by his behavior he puts everyone around him in a stupor. I have already praised Rudolf Grushinsky, so I see no point in repeating this whole tirade.
2. Katz, played by Milos Kopetsky, is a military priest of the Catholic Church, for whom Schweik serves as an orderly. Likes to drink and "fool around". This character ridicules the image of the clergy, and the actor coped with the role.
3. Lieutenant Lukash, played by Svatopluk Kopetsky, is an officer of the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Army, for whom Schweik serves as an orderly. Behaves arrogantly, sometimes getting into various unpleasant situations because of this. This character ridicules the officer aristocracy of that time.
I liked the picture more than the book (which is not surprising), but I will not watch the sequel, because, remembering the original book source, I do not want to spoil myself and even more so your mood.
What can I say, summing up a certain result. Schweik will still be screened, especially in the Czech Republic, because this is how they glorify their compatriot Yaroslav Hasek - who is known all over the world. And what else is left for the Czechs? Do you know any other famous Czech writers besides Jaroslav Hasek and Karel Chapek? I'm not, maybe because there are no more of them? Well, let them film it, I don't like the book, and I urge you not to even touch it, and even more so not to read this long and boring burden. If you want to read on anti-war topics, then read Remarque or Hemingway, they wrote much better, and most importantly - their books are finished, and Schweik will never be finished.
As a result, we have an average lousy film adaptation, with good moments, a competent atmosphere, a funny main character and good acting.
My rating is 5 out of 10 and I do not recommend this picture for viewing!
