We need to round out our concept of what heroes are. Instead of always possessing strength, these individuals can express courage under pressure. Instead of always triumphing, these men and women may blunder through difficult circumstances and even fail despite their stout-heartedness.
These additional qualities of heroism come to mind while tallying up the remarkable achievements of this Czech release that was an Academy Award nominee for the Best Foreign Language Film of 2000. The drama, based on a true story, is set in a small Czech town during World War II. The four leads are not black and white characters but fully realized human beings who are both decent and despicable, selfish and generous, loving and treacherous.
Josef (Boleslav Polivka) and Marie (Anna Siskova) are a childless couple who have managed to survive the occupation of their city by the Nazis. But when David (Csongor Kassai), an old neighbor and concentration camp escapee, arrives at their door asking for help, Josef decides to take a big risk and hide this Jewish young man, who is the son of his former employer. Soon he is living in the small room off the kitchen where they store extra supplies.
The couple is always on edge when Horst (Jaroslav Dusek), a former colleague turned Nazi collaborator, arrives to share contraband confiscated from Jewish households. His unannounced visits increase as he becomes infatuated with Marie. Horst teaches Josef how to mask his perpetual look of disgust in the presence of Nazis and gets him a job.
Jan Hrebejk directs this bittersweet drama written by Petr Jarchovsky. There are several very surprising comic twists, not the least of which is the moment when Horst shows up to find Marie sick in bed with the flu. David, who has been nursing her, hides under the covers, only to find his hand being kissed by the collaborator. The highly theatrical finale pulls out all the stops with a birth that is filled with love, hope, danger, and gratitude. It is one of the most gracious film moments you'll ever witness — given all that has gone on before in the lives of these four engaging characters. Hrebejk redefines heroism, making it much more humanized.