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Dark Blue World
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MPAA RATING: R for sexuality/nudity
Starring Ondrej Vetchý, Krystof Hádek, Tara Fitzgerald, Charles Dance, Oldrich Kaiser, and Linda Rybová
An epic romantic drama about two Czech pilots, serving together in the U.K.'s Royal Air Force during World War II, who fall in love with the same woman.
| GENRE(S): | War |
| WRITTEN BY: | Zdenek Sverák |
| DIRECTED BY: | Jan Sverák |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: May 28, 2002 Video: May 28, 2002 Theatrical: December 28, 2001 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 114 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | Czech Republic / UK / Germany / Denmark / Italy |
| LANGUAGE(S): | English, German and Czech (with English subtitles) |
Original Czech title "Tmavomodrý Svet"
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 9.4 (out of 10) based on 23 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
R P gave it a9:
Best movie I've seen in years.
Jim P. gave it a10:
This is a magnificent movie- touching the heart, while telling a wonderful story. The flying scenes are technically accurate, and it's about the best movie I have seen in years.
John H gave it a10:
A fine story and a great film that will endure as a classic portrayal of love, friendship, courage and sacrifice in the face of extreme adversity. An "in memoriam" as subtle and moving as we are ever likely to see. Thank you to all those wonderful people who helped craft it. Cinema at its very best.
Neal Y. gave it a10:
One of the best movies i have ever watched if you are interesting in world war 2, you must watch... it is a war movie but it is also drama.
neil d. gave it a7:
I thought the movie told a remarkable sub-story within the battle of Britain. It reminded me in some ways of the 1988 Masterpiece Theatre Presentation entitled a "Piece of Cake". The love triangle I found a little tortured. Reminded me of the movie through the eye of the needle or yanks with a similar scene of the Brit wife left behind who finds comfort in the arms of an allied soldier. I think what was new and well done was the pilots adjustment to English. Their fervent desire to kill Nazis and the cruel twist of being imprisoned by communists. The scene of the solder coming home reminds me of the wolf phrase then when coming home you have changed and it has changed. I wonder aloud what the level of commits were at that time or whether contemporary movies impose the present cultural standards back in time. I suppose we would have to interview to 75-85 year olds to learn that answer. I would recommend the movie to anyone who enjoys a well thought out action packed movie.
David C. gave it a10:
They got all the emotions right. Completely believable story produced in an adult fashion.
Herbert K. gave it a10:
The Dog in Dark Blue World Jan Sverak's Dark Blue World is a bittersweet story of two Czech pilots who fly for the RAF during World War II and their love interests.
[***SPOILERS***] Karel crashes in an attempt to save Franta. Franta goes home to his small Czech town in uniform and is saluted by the uniformed stationmaster. He finds his former girlfriend hanging up laundry and they sadly greet each other. She married stationmaster, thinking that Franta was dead. As Franta starts to leave, his dog, a blonde spaniel no longer young, emerges from under the laundry and greets him. The dog is female; I won’t use the word bitch, because it has acquired another connotation. Franta walks off with the dog following him. Now has his dog, but it is only for a moment. A little girl appears and says, “That is our dog.” Franta and the dog look at each other. They both know that there is no choice. It is as if the dog says, “I must stay with her.” Franta departs as the dog sits by the girl watching him walk away. I am so moved by this. It is a touching love scene between a man and a dog, one of the most touching scenes I have ever seen on film. It made me think of all the farewells in my life. Life is not easy for man, but the same can be said for animals. I had a dog as a boy; who was as much of a friend as a friend can be. And I needed such a friend at the time. His life came to a tragic end and I cannot forget that, nor can I stop blaming myself. Not a day has gone by when I did not think of him. I have thought about him more than I have thought about the women I loved. But getting back to Karel, he survived all the aerial dogfights to be thrown into a Stalinist prison for having fought in the RAF. The brave Czech pilots, like the veterans who fought for the Republican side in Spain, were guilty of some kind of crime in the Eastern Bloc. God knows what it could have been. If the Battle of Britain had been lost, the United States would not have been able to have a foothold in Europe, and the chances for victory for Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan would have been very good indeed. Thinking about man and beast, and man’s integrity and loyalty, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’d take a dog anytime. Do you know what I mean?

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