In the time of Counter-Reformation, a miller and his son come under investigation by a priest of the Inquisition, when rumors spread that their prosperity comes from working with the Devil.
The Devil's Trap is a film directed by František Vlá?il, based on a novel by Alfréd Technik, adapted by František A. Dvorák and Miloš Kratochvíl. It was the first of three historical dramas that Vlá?il made during the Czech New Wave (technically he isn't really a part of the New Wave, however these films were made during the same era of artistic freedom), preceding his more well known Marketa Lazarová (1967) and Valley of the Bees (1968).
Set in the late 16th Century during the Catholic Reformation, in the Moravian Karst, situated in what is now the Eastern Czech Republic, it tells the tale of a miller (Vítezslav Vejrazka), and his son Jan (Vít Olmer), who come under suspicion and are investigated by a Jesuit priest of the Inquisition (Miroslav Macháchek), when rumors of witchcraft are spread by the local regent (Cestmír Randa), who is jealous of the miller's prosperity and degree of respect among the local populace.
As expected from Vlá?il, this film is a stunning experience all the way through. From the opening shot, an ominous manipulation of perspective with a close up of a mangled figure of Christ dominating the foreground against a tiny figure in black walking along the horizon, to the breathtaking confrontational finale inside the vast stalactite filled Karst caverns, it is a wonderful display of visual mastery.
Maybe not quite as impressive as Marketa Lazarová, but still full of astonishing imagery. As seen from unique angles and distinct points of view which highlight the director's remarkable sense of awareness of framing, motion, and positioning on the emotional and dramatic tone of the scene. The most memorable being a repeated shot where the camera is suspended and launched with speed through the air towards the miller's door.
The story here is a simple one and I would say more accessible than his later works. With a conventional structure emphasized as much by its plot and characters, than by its expressionistic cinematography or authentic historical detail. The events play out without much surprise, and there is a strong underlying, almost supernatural, mysterious aspect that is left unresolved, in fact barely explored, which is slightly disappointing, but only because it's so fascinating that I wish there was more.
Acting is great all around. Particularly the villains: Miroslav Macháchek as the priest, casting a sinister and imposing shadow wherever he goes, and Cestmír Randa as the weasel like regent behind all the persecution. While Vít Olmer brings a charismatic leading man presence in his role as the miller's son Jan, in love with the lovely orphan girl Martina (Karla Chadimová), who becomes a dangerous object of rivalry between Jan and other young men of the village.
The film also features the evocative music of Zden?k Liška (perhaps the most prolific composer of the Czech New Wave). In this his second of eleven collaborations with Vlá?il, his compositions are used sparingly, but to great effect, complimenting but never overpowering a scene. The best example of which can be heard in an amazingly shot celebration and dance sequence at the end of the second act.
The Devil's Trap might not be a masterpiece, but it is still a strong effort, with a fascinating straightforward story and a glorious historical setting captured beautifully by Vlá?il's unmistakable visual prowess. A fine work that would also be the perfect starter plate to prepare yourself for the challenging feast of Marketa Lazarová or The Valley of the Bees. It even has an easy to digest running time. It's therefore puzzling why this gem remains largely overlooked and ignored.
买东西墨迹的大爷一句“你有病啊”戳到女儿肺管子，所以说骂人不揭短。
贾静雯的表达好细腻好真实 疫情之下我们都需要互相支持和救赎
好喜欢这版，视听内核耳目一新！没有热血高光、快意恩仇的叙事，而是把“侠”还原为“man”，更多在讲一袭刀枪不入的铠甲披风下，幽闭在内胆里那个脆弱、彷徨、挣扎的，有软肋的人。侠，是件碧海青天夜夜心的事，甚至是件夹缝求生、人人喊打的事，永远比人的视角看到更多黑暗，也消化更多冷酷。正义邪恶两股力量，皆由痛苦生长而来。一个主张救赎，一个主张毁灭；一个走向戒慎恐惧，一个走向仇恨癫狂。“核平索多玛”是危险且永恒的诱惑，疯狂往往假正义之名——这恐怕是侠最隐秘的恐惧，在城市的天际线与高架桥边御风来去时，他深知自己和谜语人仿佛分道扬镳的双生子，都是城市角落里的畸零人，自己脚踩边缘线，离疯子小丑不过一步之遥。帕汀森，这两年演技犹如开了光，寡言倔强的嘴角、警惕疏离的眼神，演出了英雄的宿命与悲情，不耍帅，但真的帅。
在疫情这个社会现象下所引爆的隐藏在暗处的负能量，在各种各样的“催化剂”作用下，人也逐渐走向的奔溃的边缘，唯一的救命稻草就是自己身边最爱的人。被冰冷的蓝色包裹在“胚胎”里，慢慢“孕育”出“抑郁”这个大怪兽，越挣扎，越是在蓝色的瀑布中沉浮
瀑布最初是蓝色幕布般横隔在母女间的隔膜，之后又成了心房开启后倾泻而出的情感，母女关系由隔阂走向理解，其间有猜忌有崩裂有毒蛇侵入，最终又被意料之外的洪流尽数冲垮。
整体很差。好在一些段落。有蛇及最后的部分。魏如萱极差。
成年家庭生活就是不断拉扯的漩涡啊，导演这次把叙事对象对准女性，设定放在后疫情时代，讲得仍是一些古老的故事，另外有人说贾静雯演的好的实在get不到...
暮光版青年蝙蝠侠，痛苦迷茫混乱情怯，但敢于信仰自己的信念。和这版相比，诺兰蝙蝠三部曲完全是爽文男主。
开场感觉就已经剧透了，阳光之下，一片暗影，但暗影终会消散，阳光普照。调性也非常像阳光普照。父母跟子女之间的隔阂最让人难过，尤其是当他们既是彼此最爱的人，也是最恨的人。
前半段的惊悚悬疑和后半段的温情，两个处于对立面的类型风格竟拍出了这样一个让人同情倍感温暖的影片。看到结尾真的有些让人窒息，不过结尾向着我所预料的方向发展时，似乎一切又显得合理起来。近期最佳。
作為疫情時代下第一部以疫情為主題的電影，鍾導此次以失魂的家庭失和+陽光普照的基調，創作出疫情時代下女兒與思覺失調的母親共體時艱，修復母女關係的家庭故事，即便主角書寫換為女性，對白依舊是熟悉的鍾式風格，前期像驚悚片，隨著母親被診斷出精神疾病後，影片基調變從驚悚片轉為母女家庭片，共體時艱、一起變的更好的過程，讓人心暖暖的。瀑布的象徵著賈靜雯內心有壓力時便會聽到的震耳欲聾的流水聲，片名用抽象的方式表達其實很完美，可惜鍾孟宏在本片仍舊犯了飽滿過頭的問題，畫蛇添足的結尾，試圖讓瀑布具象化，說實在的沒必要，如果影片收在淨上公車與媽媽告別的地方，整部片會更顯乾淨俐落之感，撇除這畫蛇添足的結尾，瀑布我喜歡，賈靜雯篤定是金馬影后了，思覺失調的細膩詮釋，和王淨這對母女檔不輸美國女孩，但劇情片我還是壓美國女孩一票
室内景、推拉镜时常联想到《寄生虫》，剧本比起《阳光普照》显得匠气，台词矫揉造作，直直地想要把隐喻抖露出来，并且显得画蛇添足，难道必须得出现瀑布声？结尾交剪是否必要？该留白的地方，全被“前后呼应”填满了，同时反复点题（比如魏如萱的角色在用力表达情感的同时显得毫无人物性），幸而钟孟宏是明白如何煽情的，在结构和视听上精于引导（几个意象：医院前灯箱布、蓝色防水布、蛇、马赛克）。
Don’t sweat it 好日子在后头呢！
又臭又长，睡觉都嫌IMax的音效太吵… 都是些老梗，我和朋友猜的几乎全中。人物行为的内驱动力非常无法令人信服，单薄无趣。再说一次，贝尔yyds。
导演赞扬了什么反映立场~~再明确不过了吧~~湾湾就这么大，社会议题为母题一直不断在拍和反思~值得鼓励啊~~关心具体的人~~无论怎样都是进步的~~~（不多说了~明早起来 我要去抱抱妈妈~）
而我们的世界正在哥谭化。
不是最好的钟孟宏，但是迄今为止最好的华语口罩电影。开局的惊悚悬疑做得非常漂亮，中介签字的反高潮戏也是高光，笼罩这个时代的阴影和基氏的蓝梦幻联动，视听语言也是花足心思（特别喜欢开车戏阴晴交错的影像代入女儿视角的手法）。缺点是许多主旋律片共同的缺点——为了让更多人看懂，实在是太啰嗦了！
确实是渐入佳境的，但需要熬过至少半小时。
瀑布是持续落水来形容压力真是再好不过。只要远离了瀑布，就会看到彩虹啊。
实在没看出有任何理由不能把片长缩到两个小时
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