Requiem for a Maiden (1992) User Reviews

Not a true story

[lenka-hapalova · 8/10 · 10 May 2013]

The film itself is definitely worth watching and I recommend it but it is not all true. Although, the film is told to be based on the story which happened in 1984 in Czechoslovakia, it was just inspired by the event. Unfortunately the director does not admit it. The real story was a little bit more complicated: the main hero Marika (Eva) was not so nice and her tutors so bad. In reality, Eva was a very problematic child, state authorities and institute representatives ignored not only Eva's but also tutors' complaints about her placing.

Besides, institutes like that one and people with mental disorders aren't usually depicted truthfully. Regrettably, people don't want to see people with heavy mental disorders so they rarely appear in TV (only with light disorders). And many clients get there because their own families don't want to take care of them. So not black-white as in the film.

This is NOT based on true story

[imhotep3 · 8/10 · 10 March 2014]

This film is really masterpiece. Gaislerova, Hrzanova, Valentova and many others proved their talent.

But I have to add one more thing - this is not true story of Eva Kovac (~Marika), it's been too much 'improved'. Review from 'pavel.vetesnik' is wrong.

Eva had tough childhood, but she was also very problematic child with really bad parents. Other 'facts' are incorrect. Maker of this story which was inspiration for this movie, J.Klima, sent apologies to those nurses.

Nevertheless I recommend you to watch this movie. It's really great.

Psychological-social movie

[pavel.vetesnik · 9/10 · 24 September 2000]

This film is based on the story which happened in 1984 in Czechoslovakia. The main hero is Marika, 14th years old girl who was by mistake of authorities sent to madhouse for young. Here she founds that wards are terrorized by their tutors. Those tutors are also responsible for deaths of several wards due overdosing of medicaments. Marika tries to escape several times but she is always caught and sent back. She also tries to protect other kids against of tyranny. When she doesn't see a chance how to change the situation she lights fire and the madhouse burns.

It is the end of the movie. However in the 1984 the story continued: 3 tutors were imprisoned for tyranny for 6 months to 1 year. Marika was imprisoned for 5 years (because she caused the fire).

I can highly recommend you to see this movie. It is very well done. However you will not feel good at the end.