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I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND

Starring: Oldrich Kaiser, Ivan Barniv, Julia Jentsch, Jeri Labus, Josef Abrham and Milan Lasica

Directed By: Jiri Menzel

R for sexual content and nudity

In Czech with English Subtitles

By John Delia

I Served the King of England is a charming adult film that sets itself in motion and moves along at a steady pace delivering an amazing storyline that should delight most film lovers. Whether you are a film buff or just want an afternoon or evening of distraction, this film should fill the need.
The story of Czech born Jan Dite starts with his release from a Czechoslovakian prison where he has been officially pardoned following 15 years of incarceration. Being that the Czech’s wrongly imprisoned him after the fall of WWII German domination, Jan is awarded a backwoods shanty as compensation. We then are treated in flashbacks to his remarkable past from a provincial waiter in a pub to employment in a luxury brothel and finally an elegant restaurant in a fashionable hotel in Prague. His desire to become a millionaire in the face of amazing odds against him is at the center of the storyline. Jan meets and marries Laza (Jentsch), a Sudeten German living in Czechoslovakia during the Nazi takeover, which keeps himself out of harms way. But when Laza decides that she must fight for the Nazi’s and goes to the warfront, things start to take a downward turn. When the Germans take over the hotel in which he works and turn it into a birthing place for Aryans, Jan’s fate becomes in doubt.
The acting directing and cinematography in the film are magnificent, but the storyline does tend to be quite whimsical. Following Dite’s lengthy odyssey does tend to make the movie a bit involving, but it was overshadowed for me by the unusual journey in life Dite had to make in order to find his ultimate goal. Add to this some amazing cinematography of the hotels, restaurants, villages, hillsides and even the celebration of the birthing rights by a luxurious pool.
Topping the talent is a pair of actors who play Dite, Kaiser and Barniv. Both do a teriffic job in bringing Dite to life as the short in hight but high in ambition main character. I give a tip of the hat to Menzel for drawing out great performances from both.
The film contains a lot of nudity, sex and some visions of gore and should be viewed only by mature adults. I Served the King of England is presented in the Czech language with English subtitles. I found the titles easy to read and visually acceptable.

FINAL ANALYSIS: If you like your foreign films unusual and engrossing than I Served the King of England is your cup of tea.