All My Compatriots

Sure, the basic elements of the film are good to excellent, but the purely contemporary faces, hairstyles, make-up, and costumes of a good half of the cast unfortunately, reduce this project to a period average. If we want to deal with the past, it is necessary to convince the viewer of the time in which the story takes place, and not to make the excuse that a few non-actors as decor is enough. (24/02/2009)

A poetic, dramatic and comedic look back at how we not only were, but unfortunately how we still are and probably will continue to be. Vojtěch Jasný seems to have decided to juxtapose the simple beauty of nature and the complex relationships between people who live and die in this splendor. With the help of actors, non-actors, a script that really feels like an adapted municipal chronicle, the camera and the versatile music of one of our geniuses Svatopluk Havelka, he managed to create a film that still has a great testimonial value after more than fifty years and which I always enjoy watching. (30/01/2012)

An admirable trip into Czech history, to the times when the communist regime cast its nets into the social system and divided people into two opposing groups. All My Compatriots is the story of people who were affected by the rise of communism, both negatively and positively. The film offers wonderful cinematography and beautiful music alongside a look at the unfortunate fate of the inhabitants of one village. In short, one of the rarest gems of Czech cinema, with Radoslav Brzobohatý and Vladimir Menšík showing their best acting skills. (08/03/2011)

It is not so much the uncontrolled recklessness of nationalization, but rather the concentrated nature of the little Czech man in the form of a Beskydy village that becomes the subject of criticism (but also celebration) in this epic fresco by Jasný. A third of the way through it takes away your words, then your breath, and finally, your superlatives. I have never experienced such huge applause from such a small number of people in the movie theater. (08/06/2007)

Unquestionably the best film by Vojtěch Jasný and probably the best film dedicated to the subject of collectivization of the Czech countryside. Jasný filmed it after several years because the script could not pass the contemporary censorship for understandable reasons. It was only during the period of reforms in the late 60s and Dubček's intervention that it finally succeeded. The film shows the creative affinity between Vojtěch Jasný and another significant Czech director, Karel Kachyňa. It is similarly poetic, with a focus on visual composition, and a careful selection of actors and their direction. It is interesting that even though the film does not delve deep into the bleak conditions of the 50s, because the political persecution and societal atmosphere were actually worse, there has not been a film made in today's free creative conditions that could surpass or even come close to this one... Overall impression: 95%. (21/07/2009)