We have to stick together

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Movie
German title We have to stick together
Original title Musíme si pomáhat
Country of production Czech Republic
original language Czech
Publishing year 2000
length 123 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director Jan Hřebejk
script Jan Hřebejk,
Petr Jarchovský
production Pavel Borovan ,
Ondřej Trojan
music Aleš Březina
camera Jan Malíř
cut Vladimír Barák
occupation

We must stick together (original title: Musíme si pomáhat ) is a Czech film by Jan Hřebejk from the year 2000. In the film, various inhabitants of a small Czech town during the Second World War are portrayed and their behavior: as criminals, followers , collaborators , people with and without conscience and sacrifice.

action

1943 in a small Czech town. The Sudeten German Horst occasionally visits the childless couple Marie and Josef Čížek. Josef is not very impressed by these visits and contemptuously describes Horst as a "hand-up" because he earlier made a career with the National Socialists . He is also of the opinion that he is only targeting Marie.

When the Jew David Wiener managed to escape from the concentration camp a little later, the refugee asked for a hiding place with the Čížeks. Although Josef doesn't actually want to risk his life, he hides David in a secret pantry. Horst's visits are now a risk and Josef, contrary to his convictions, takes a job with the German occupying power so as not to attract any further attention. Marie is now at the mercy of Horst's advances. She rejects him, whereupon Horst threatens to billet a National Socialist with the Čížeks. Marie claims in her distress that she is pregnant, which Horst does not believe. He wants evidence. Since Josef cannot father children, Marie agrees to let David father a child. Marie becomes pregnant so that Horst has to apologize to her.

When it became clear that the Germans were losing the war, Horst recognized his Czech roots. He saves the Čížeks' lives when the Nazis search every house on the street. When the Germans surrender, Marie goes into labor. Josef panics and goes looking for a doctor, but there is chaos everywhere. He meets the new commander, Franta, who, however, sees Josef as a collaborator and wants to put him under arrest. Just the declaration by Josef that he had hidden a Jew and that he only collaborated with the Germans to camouflage himself temporarily saved him from prison. Josef makes the partisans believe that the arrested Horst is a doctor, so that Josef is escorted to his house with Horst. Horst helps Marie, while Josef is desperately looking for David, who has fled out of fear. As a result, Joseph's story about the hidden Jew appears as a collaborator's saving lie and he is supposed to be shot on the spot. Then David appears and the baby is born.

Themes and motifs

Character of the film

The film stands out from works with a similar subject in that there is no clear assignment of the protagonists to “good” and “bad”. Individuals are shown, some of whom act on their own initiative and then in turn as members of a system of fear and violence. Another quite interesting feature is the Czech humor, which in a subtle way lets the Czech mentality shine through even with such serious material.

symbolism

This brings up the subject of “ symbolism ” in the film. Just as the text of the aria clearly interprets what happened in the action, one can find a number of parallels to the Christian doctrine of salvation : the husband is shown by a medical certificate as not being able to procreate . In order to prevent the billeting of a Nazi in his apartment and thus the probable discovery of the hidden Jew , he points out that his wife was not pregnant at the time . Only with the help of the illegal roommate is it possible to get these offspring, which are essential for survival for all three (parallels to Mary's virgin conception of Jesus without Joseph's intervention ). The impotent husband bears the name Josef of all people . His wife is an ardent admirer of the Virgin Mary (large picture of the saint in the living room). Through a Jew, redemption comes before discovery and the death penalty . The Jew is all savior and at the same time persecuted (the crucified but risen Jesus Christ ). Later in the film, he is silent about his Czech neighbor's betrayal of him to an SS troop, which then almost caught him ( Christ taking the guilt away). The little newborn stands for a new beginning after the war , perhaps for the “new covenant” that was established by Christ through overcoming hatred and death . And finally, another collaborator with the Nazis is rescued shortly before his execution by the liberators because of a small saving deed, through which the married couple and their hidden things were not exposed . The great reference to the Christian doctrine of salvation in this film is astonishing, given that in the country in which it was made, a large part of the population is no longer confessional .

Film music

Particular attention is paid to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach , which is used in the film very appropriately to its own content, such as the aria "Mercy You" from the " St. Matthew Passion ". The use of a very precisely recorded recording with an original sound ensemble (“Musica Florea Prague”) and the mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená indicates the great importance that the director attaches to the film music.

Reviews

“A film about the horror of time, which pleases itself as a farce and works towards the belittling through the too forgiving gestures of the director. The exaggerated (drawing) drawing of the people also reduces the persuasiveness of the film. "

- Lexicon of international film

"A cinematic delicacy for the heart and mind."

- New York Times

"Great moments in cinema - for an audience with a preference for the power of emotions."

- Focus: film

"The qualities of Jan Hrebejk's third feature film were once again recognized by the Americans, who nominated" We must stick together "and" Kolya "for an Oscar."

- New York Times

Awards

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ We have to stick together. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed August 28, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used