NinadeL

Olmo Omerzu's Czech film is neither distinctly Czech nor global. It's an attempt to capture a fragment of a certain part of Europe, but unfortunately, it ends up being not very appealing to the Czech audience. Specifically, the theme of "Atlas of Birds" is a seemingly clever metaphor about the bitter downfall of a family business, whose head remains an arrogant alpha male until his last breath. However, the reasons for this downfall are as banal as classic infidelity can be. Additionally, the script focuses too much on a naive fraud involving a scorned ex-lover and neglects the broader context of the deception. Olmo Omerzu and Petr Pýcha do not seem to be mature enough creators to analyze the disintegration of a personality and instead prefer to hide behind dialogues among the treetops.

Ute Lemper has a similarly well-sculpted face as Katja Flint, which is why both of these German actresses became icons, lending themselves to portray the most interesting women of the past in films. One such woman was, of course, an Austrian. In Pierre Granier-Deferre's film, the end of Marie Antoinette's life is depicted without unnecessary pathos, sensationalism, or other distractions that usually overshadow the life of this queen. Here, an excellent intimate drama focusing on her inner life before execution was achieved.

Ballerine represents for Machatý just a stepping stone between Austria and America, and it is "only" an adaptation of the then-new novel by Giuseppe Adami, "Fanny ballerina della Scala" (1935), but can you imagine a better theme for him? The theatrical setting, the endless beauty of dance costumes, and the graceful bodies of the ballet dancers... Of course, half of the aesthetic beauty of each shot is the work of cinematographer Václav Vích. In the lead role, we can enjoy the charms of Silvana Jachino, and in a supporting role, we once again get to see Maria Ray, the protagonist of Machatý's previous film Nocturne (and his then-wife). A luxurious, visually captivating experience. As for some interesting trivia, the lead role was originally supposed to be played by the real ballerina Irina Lucacevich, but she died in a traffic accident. Her replacement, Jachino, was not just a one-time stand-in but went on to have a very long career, managing to stay relevant even after the war, which was not easy after the regime change in Italy. Machatý did not have oversight over the final cut of the film and disavowed the film (probably because the first cut failed, leading to further edits of the film). Official reviews tend to be harsh, primarily because they do not consider the film itself but the conditions of its creation, the question of funding (a state commission), and its impact on Machatý's career. He is often referred to as the best director of his time, even though his artistically ambitious projects often did not achieve commercial success (and he himself functioned best in the Czech-German linguistic space, despite having European to Hollywood ambitions).