What a curious movie this is. Ostensibly a family film - silly, ham-handed, and fantastical - there are small moments or ideas here and there (particularly interactions between men and women) that are more adult in nature. We get classic themes for such fare, including but definitely not limited to (a) expression and individuality set against notions of strict, regimented order and conformity, and (b) the underhanded ways people's true selves are revealed - themes that are somehow both amplified and somewhat twisted into a different shape in light of additional context. After all, 'Az prijde kocour' is also a bit of a time capsule - made in a country that no longer exists, and under the auspices of Soviet governance, with these origins apparent in small clues like passing dismissal of "formalism," or discussion or intimation of what does or does not meet the standards of approved work, art, or Truth, and still more subtly in the mayor's remarks about Tabby, or Oliva's favored pastime that so slyly echoes less innocent observation. Meanwhile, there's a bombastic theatricality to the presentation that makes one ponder how, were this a Hollywood production, it would almost certainly be a musical, or at least kin to live-action Disney features of the same period. And still all this is to say nothing of what may be the greatest curiosity, which is to say a decidedly unbothered sense of plot - its disparate threads, its development. I do quite enjoy this, but given the curious flavors here, I'm not entirely sure who I would even recommend it to!
This much is certain: 'Az prijde kocour' is wonderfully imaginative, charming in its somewhat gauche playfulness. Archetypal story ideas are teased out into curious directions with the addition of one very special cat and one very special set of spectacles, and the whimsy extends to the details of most every character and scene as written and executed. My commendations to filmmaker Vojtech Jasny and co-writers Jiri Brdecka and Jan Werich, for they have whipped up a splendid fancy that at once or in turns blends fantasy, children's stories, more adult conceptions of humor, romance, art-house conceits, and some overtones of the sociopolitical atmosphere in 1960s Czechoslovakia. If that's not an odd mixture, I don't know what is. Yet it works unexpectedly well, resulting in a viewing experience that's both peculiar and highly entertaining in its own offbeat way. And even at that, for everything that this is and represents, it's also impressively smart and well made. The best of the effects are pointedly inventive, while the worst are no more terrible than being on par with those of this picture's contemporaries. The production design and art direction are all around excellent, as are all other contributions of those behind the scenes including editing and cinematography, and the cast likewise embody their characters with gratifyingly spirited performances. Again, this really is quite well done.
One should note a content warning for themes of animal cruelty that are central to the plot, and especially prevalent in some scene writing and dialogue. I would argue, too, that the felines appearing in the film receive treatment at some points that, while not abjectly awful, does not comport with modern standards of how animals should be handled or cared for. This isn't to say that the feature couldn't be made in 2022, but some scenes would surely look a little different than they do here. Still, this is part and parcel of the story at hand, and film-making typical of the era - and rest assured that in accordance with such fare, all is well in the end. Ultimately this is a little bit of a strange ride, with a swirl of ideas and tones that one wouldn't expect to fit together. For all that, though, it's unmistakably fun, and worth exploring not just on its own merits but also as a tiny peek behind the "curtain," if you will, at Czechoslovakia in the 60s. It's worth mentioning, as a bonus for fans of Werner Herzog, that both this and his 1979 picture 'Woyzeck' were filmed in the same Czech town. At length, whether one is an especial fan of cats, or international cinema, or just looking for something a tad out of the ordinary but light, 'Az prijde kocour' is a weird but refreshing title, a fine way to spend 100 minutes if you have the opportunity.
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