魔鬼的陷阱 InthetimeofCounter-Reformation,魔鬼的陷阱amillerandhissoncomeunderinvestigationbyapriestoftheInquisition,比克提尼与黑英雄捷克罗姆whenrumorsspreadthattheirprosperitycomesfromworkingwiththeDevil.TheDevil’sTrapisafilmdirectedbyFrantiekVl?il,basedonanovelbyAlfrdTechnik,adaptedbyFrantiekA.DvorkandMiloKratochvl.ItwasthefirstofthreehistoricaldramasthatVl?ilmadeduringtheCzechNewWave(technicallyheisn’treallyapartoftheNewWave,howeverthesefilmsweremadeduringthesameeraofartisticfreedom),precedinghismorewellknownMarketaLazarov(1967)andValleyoftheBees(1968).Setinthelate16thCenturyduringtheCatholicReformation,intheMoravianKarst,situatedinwhatisnowtheEasternCzechRepublic,ittellsthetaleofamiller(VtezslavVejrazka),andhissonJan(VtOlmer),whocomeundersuspicionandareinvestigatedbyaJesuitpriestoftheInquisition(MiroslavMachchek),whenrumorsofwitchcraftarespreadbythelocalregent(CestmrRanda),whoisjealousofthemiller’sprosperityanddegreeofrespectamongthelocalpopulace.AsexpectedfromVl?il,thisfilmisastunningexperienceallthewaythrough.Fromtheopeningshot,anominousmanipulationofperspectivewithacloseupofamangledfigureofChristdominatingtheforegroundagainstatinyfigureinblackwalkingalongthehorizon,tothebreathtakingconfrontationalfinaleinsidethevaststalactitefilledKarstcaverns,itisawonderfuldisplayofvisualmastery.MaybenotquiteasimpressiveasMarketaLazarov,butstillfullofastonishingimagery.Asseenfromuniqueanglesanddistinctpointsofviewwhichhighlightthedirector’sremarkablesenseofawarenessofframing,motion,andpositioningontheemotionalanddramatictoneofthescene.Themostmemorablebeingarepeatedshotwherethecameraissuspendedandlaunchedwithspeedthroughtheairtowardsthemiller’sdoor.ThestoryhereisasimpleoneandIwouldsaymoreaccessiblethanhislaterworks.Withaconventionalstructureemphasizedasmuchbyitsplotandcharacters,thanbyitsexpressionisticcinematographyorauthentichistoricaldetail.Theeventsplayoutwithoutmuchsurprise,andthereisastrongunderlying,almostsupernatural,mysteriousaspectthatisleftunresolved,infactbarelyexplored,whichisslightlydisappointing,butonlybecauseit’ssofascinatingthatIwishtherewasmore.Actingisgreatallaround.Particularlythevillains:MiroslavMachchekasthepriest,castingasinisterandimposingshadowwhereverhegoes,andCestmrRandaastheweasellikeregentbehindallthepersecution.WhileVtOlmerbringsacharismaticleadingmanpresenceinhisroleasthemiller’ssonJan,inlovewiththelovelyorphangirlMartina(KarlaChadimov),whobecomesadangerousobjectofrivalrybetweenJanandotheryoungmenofthevillage.ThefilmalsofeaturestheevocativemusicofZden?kLika(perhapsthemostprolificcomposeroftheCzechNewWave).InthishissecondofelevencollaborationswithVl?il,hiscompositionsareusedsparingly,buttogreateffect,complimentingbutneveroverpoweringascene.Thebestexampleofwhichcanbeheardinanamazinglyshotcelebrationanddancesequenceattheendofthesecondact.TheDevil’sTrapmightnotbeamasterpiece,butitisstillastrongeffort,withafascinatingstraightforwardstoryandaglorioushistoricalsettingcapturedbeautifullybyVl?il’sunmistakablevisualprowess.AfineworkthatwouldalsobetheperfectstarterplatetoprepareyourselfforthechallengingfeastofMarketaLazarovorTheValleyoftheBees.Itevenhasaneasytodigestrunningtime.It’sthereforepuzzlingwhythisgemremainslargelyoverlookedandignored.有人为了寻昨夜的杀手,有人为了寻阴走他令牌的女人,可白疏影若是神秘男,那这个璃世子又为何而来?尤其对比蓝语昕要应付又老又丑的男人来说,她就更加兴奋了。“当然认真啊!”兀官瑶兴奋道,“楚一凡在我们镇子里算是大名人,我对他的秘密可是最感兴趣的呢!”那瞎眼老太继续自顾自道“你妹妹只有跟着婆子,才能保住这条小命!是死是活,你自己选!”
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