Tanková brigáda

Messy War, messier film.

This movie presents as little more than an extended piece of patriotic propaganda. It is very definitely a product of its times, and it has not aged all that well. The film is not helped by a cliché ridden script, some cardboard cut-out characters such as the German general, a couple of wooden performances, most notably Jana Ditetova (Nurse Olinka), and one totally over the top performance by Julius Pantik (Juraj Klimko). Jurja and Olinka are involved in an on again, off again relationship, a sub plot that does little to move the story forward, apart from laying on more of the self sacrifice for the motherland theme. The most interesting part of the movie is how uncle Joe and the Russians are perceived. Generally they are seen as liberators, and friends, who supplied the brigade with brand new tanks. Much is made of the Czechs not becoming communists, but that part of the plot is difficult to follow. I wonder how the director felt about the Russians when they invaded Hungary the year after the film was made, or how he felt about Russian tanks rumbling down the streets of Prague in 1968. Probably not the same way as they are depicted here. The director has an unenviable task juggling three or four story lines throughout, as a result some of the stories lack development and resolutions feel rushed. All in all it is a bit a mess, and l won't be viewing it again.