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.
寓意并不难懂，开篇的抓鸟事件已经定下基调。直到善良女孩的最后一口血造就了恶的女孩诞生，一步一步都是她母亲逼出来的，但这个过程缺乏一些玩味的细节
带三年级的儿子一起看的，80后的我看哭了好几次。儿子之前已经在书上看过这个故事，说真人演的童话比动画片好看。感谢郑渊洁童话给了我美好有趣的我的童年。
从“幸福家庭”一出来，就大概知道啥走向了，怎么看怎么嘲讽，最正常的人是泰罗就好逗
女主跟鸟人两体一心。苛刻的老母，我就知道会出事。所以为什么家里这么大个鸟人，怎么会不被发现？国内这种绝不可能发生。女主鸟人痛感相同。故事最后，女主为了保护鸟人挡刀，鸟人因为同样相貌成为新的女儿。
就冲这些，追回到4星。
窒息的母子关系和无动于衷的缺席男性，用意未免也太明显，只是效果全程都通过另一身份来提供也太单薄了
其实就是个隐喻…拍摄成比较直白的方式
畸形家庭环境下的女儿把内心的阴暗面“孵化”成了与自己一模一样的实体，或许这个“自己”更适合这个病态的家庭
还是及格的片。给个四星吧。希望下次继续努力。
一个精神分裂典型案例，在母亲的压力，父亲的缺席，弟弟的敌意，继父的阴影下，小女孩分裂出自己身体中的恶。
有心理恐怖内味，不过剧情明显不足以支撑一个半小时的电影，感觉做成30分钟的短片更合适。虽然电影有很多暗示，但我还是愿意称之为，反应10年后网红现状的魔幻现实主义电影
把象征实体化，把隐喻明朗化。鸟以呕吐物为食，所咀嚼和吞咽的就是这家庭里的腐烂物。鸟是女孩内心的暗面，是杀戮欲，是毁灭欲，利爪撕碎完美假象，除掉竞争对手，女孩残存的善和良知与之搏斗，最终混为一体又彼此交互。很有趣的小实验，很文学，用影像呈现能达到这种荒诞和现实交织的临界感，已经很不容易。
网上有了，所以减一星。
2倍速看的，还可以。故事很简单，象征意味＞剧情。
对最后的结局完全摸不着头脑，莫名其妙的转化。里面人物对超自然事件对发生接受的也太好了吧，父母感情不合女儿对介入的第三者接受的也太好了吧……一切都好悬浮……恐怖片果然是没有下确界的一种类型片
很怪诞，可能不了解什么北欧移民问题，看的有点恶心，包括妈妈爸爸，都让人不适。
买了两张票却看了不到十分钟，终于在优酷看完了。挺好的，人性故事，非常棒！
哇 好北欧的horror。小女孩太能演了吧。
7/10 完美家庭、幸福生活表象下隐藏不安因素，无瑕形象实则为内无一物的空壳。阴影面一点点被揭开，邪念被触发、滋生、成长，直至自身被恶取代。
小女主和妈妈的演技都是很不错的，女主妈有点像使女故事的女主
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