簡介：InthetimeofCounter-Reformation,amillerandhissoncomeunderinvestigationbyapriestoftheInquisition,whenrumorsspreadthattheirprosperitycomesfromworkingwiththeDevil.TheDevil’sTrapisafilmdirectedbyFranti?ekVlá?il,basedonanovelbyAlfrédTechnik,adaptedbyFranti?ekA.DvorákandMilo?Kratochvíl.ItwasthefirstofthreehistoricaldramasthatVlá?ilmadeduringtheCzechNewWave(technicallyheisn’treallyapartoftheNewWave,howeverthesefilmsweremadeduringthesameeraofartisticfreedom),precedinghismorewellknownMarketaLazarová(1967)andValleyoftheBees(1968).Setinthelate16thCenturyduringtheCatholicReformation,intheMoravianKarst,situatedinwhatisnowtheEasternCzechRepublic,ittellsthetaleofamiller(VítezslavVejrazka),andhissonJan(VítOlmer),whocomeundersuspicionandareinvestigatedbyaJesuitpriestoftheInquisition(MiroslavMacháchek),whenrumorsofwitchcraftarespreadbythelocalregent(CestmírRanda),whoisjealousofthemiller’sprosperityanddegreeofrespectamongthelocalpopulace.AsexpectedfromVlá?il,thisfilmisastunningexperienceallthewaythrough.Fromtheopeningshot,anominousmanipulationofperspectivewithacloseupofamangledfigureofChristdominatingtheforegroundagainstatinyfigureinblackwalkingalongthehorizon,tothebreathtakingconfrontationalfinaleinsidethevaststalactitefilledKarstcaverns,itisawonderfuldisplayofvisualmastery.MaybenotquiteasimpressiveasMarketaLazarová,butstillfullofastonishingimagery.Asseenfromuniqueanglesanddistinctpointsofviewwhichhighlightthedirector’sremarkablesenseofawarenessofframing,motion,andpositioningontheemotionalanddramatictoneofthescene.Themostmemorablebeingarepeatedshotwherethecameraissuspendedandlaunchedwithspeedthroughtheairtowardsthemiller’sdoor.ThestoryhereisasimpleoneandIwouldsaymoreaccessiblethanhislaterworks.Withaconventionalstructureemphasizedasmuchbyitsplotandcharacters,thanbyitsexpressionisticcinematographyorauthentichistoricaldetail.Theeventsplayoutwithoutmuchsurprise,andthereisastrongunderlying,almostsupernatural,mysteriousaspectthatisleftunresolved,infactbarelyexplored,whichisslightlydisappointing,butonlybecauseit’ssofascinatingthatIwishtherewasmore.Actingisgreatallaround.Particularlythevillains:MiroslavMacháchekasthepriest,castingasinisterandimposingshadowwhereverhegoes,andCestmírRandaastheweasellikeregentbehindallthepersecution.WhileVítOlmerbringsacharismaticleadingmanpresenceinhisroleasthemiller’ssonJan,inlovewiththelovelyorphangirlMartina(KarlaChadimová),whobecomesadangerousobjectofrivalrybetweenJanandotheryoungmenofthevillage.ThefilmalsofeaturestheevocativemusicofZden?kLi?ka(perhapsthemostprolificcomposeroftheCzechNewWave).InthishissecondofelevencollaborationswithVlá?il,hiscompositionsareusedsparingly,buttogreateffect,complimentingbutneveroverpoweringascene.Thebestexampleofwhichcanbeheardinanamazinglyshotcelebrationanddancesequenceattheendofthesecondact.TheDevil’sTrapmightnotbeamasterpiece,butitisstillastrongeffort,withafascinatingstraightforwardstoryandaglorioushistoricalsettingcapturedbeautifullybyVlá?il’sunmistakablevisualprowess.AfineworkthatwouldalsobetheperfectstarterplatetoprepareyourselfforthechallengingfeastofMarketaLazarováorTheValleyoftheBees.Itevenhasaneasytodigestrunningtime.It’sthereforepuzzlingwhythisgemremainslargelyoverlookedandignored.

簡介：In this film, a couple, after seeing the lovely job a friend of theirs has done in converting an old mill house into a cozy mansion, moves into an old farmhouse after persuading the current owner, an old man, to leave. When they arrive, he appears to be preparing to leave, but it soon becomes evident that the man has no intention of going to live with his children, and intends to stay in the house. At first, they find his presence unbearable, but when he must go to the hospital, they begin to realize that they care for the feisty old gentleman.　　~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide