I have been binge-watching classic to get a break from gore movies, i revisited few titles and this film was part of the list. Coincidentally just in perfect time, it is also the death anniversary of Vojtech Jasný today. I decided to write a short review of this gem which is overlooked in his filmography.
Although best known for his When the Cat Comes Lindsay (1963) and All My Good Countrymen (1969), my first viewing of this movie was a dull experience, when compared to his classics. After many years, a second immediate viewing today and it is with much better results and the experience is poetic. Maybe the fatigue of binging arthouse and horror movies.
In 'Desire' Vojtech Jasny takes the idea of a four seasons, each symbolizes a section of life. It has all things which celebrated his love for countryside, his interest in the folk, and his fascination for a traditional way of life. It felt good and mainly for the soft focus, sun-dappled black and white treatment of pastoral settings.
The genre of "Touha" is sweet to express- it is Slice of Life, which is divided into four parts with fascinating cinematography. At the same time, the picture is a wonderful sketch of the soul of an ordinary, even the most ordinary person in the village, into whose life something usual bursts into something bittersweet.
