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I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND
Language: Czech and German, with English subtitles; Running Time: 118 min; Rated: R
Reviewed by Denise Castillón

ENJOY THE ROYAL TREATMENT

This enchanting surreal comedy from the Czech Republic, I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND, recounts a man’s optimistic quest for wealth as a youth. Using rich visuals and absurd humor, clownish Jan Dite’s fantastic mission as revealed through flashbacks during significant historical and political times of the 1930’s and until after the end of WWII.

Oscar winning director, Jiri Menzel (Best Foreign Language film, “Closely Watched Trains”), was nominated at the 2007 Berlin International Film for the Golden Bear, and won their FIPRESCI Prize for the lengthy titled film. Charlie Chaplin and Jean Renoir may be Menzel’s cinematic influences, but Bohumil Hrabal, Czechoslovakia’s most prominent writer, is his storytelling inspiration. It’s worth noting that most of the late Hrabal’s writings have been made in to films.

The screenplay focuses on two parallel stories. The first follows the youthful and ambitious exploits of the childlike Jan Dite, occurring before the War and during the German occupation. He steady works his way up to becoming a millionaire in the luxury hotel industry with apprenticeships in upscale establishments for wealthy pleasure-seekers. An apolitical Jan, (IVAN BARNEV) falls hopelessly for a fanatical German Nationalist, Liza (JULIA JENTSCH), just as Czechoslovakia comes under German occupation. After their marriage, Liza is sent to serve on the Polish front, and Jan finds himself on the side of the occupying power and working at in a Nazi SS Research Hospital producing master race specimens from German girls and full-blooded Aryan warriors. Liza returns with a bag of valuable stamps left behind by “deported” Jews, and the couple look forward to building a hotel when the war is over.

In the second part, with the end of the war, Jan has been released from prison after being jailed for nearly 15 years for his millionaire status. The matured Jan (now played by Oldrich Kaiser) etches out a peaceful existence in abandoned German village with fellow exiled inhabitants. A young Bohemian woman revives his lust and his memories of his past romantic adventures.

Fine supportive performances by Marian Labuda as the enterprising businessman “Walden”, and Martin Huba as the regal “Maitre d' Skrivanek”.

Directed by Jiří Menzel, screenplay, based on the novel by Bohumil Hrabal, by Jiří Menzel. Cinematography directed by Jaromír Šofr, AČK, edited by Jiří Brožek. Production design by Milan Býček, costume design by Milan Čorba, and music by Aleš Březina. Produced by Rudolf Biermann, Executive producers are Robert Schaffer and Andrea Metcalfe (AQS). A co-production from Barrandov Studio and TV Nova. Released by Sony Pictures Classics.