I Served the King of England

Infobox Film
name = I Served the King of England


caption = Czech-language poster
director = Jiří Menzel
producer = Rudolf Biermann
writer = Jiří Menzel
starring = Oldřich Kaiser
Julia Jentsch
Ivan Barnev
Martin Huba
Marián Labuda
Milan Lasica
Josef Abrhám
Jiří Lábus
music = Aleš Březina
cinematography = Jaromír Šofr
distributor = Bioscop
released = flagicon|Czech Republic 2006
runtime = 120 min.
country = Czech Republic / Slovakia / Germany / Hungary
language = Czech
budget =
website =
amg_id = 1:387128
imdb_id = 0284363

"Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále" ("I Served the King of England") is a 2006 Czech film, directed by Jiří Menzel and based on the novel of the same name by Bohumil Hrabal. This film is Menzel's sixth adaptation of the works of Hrabal for film. [cite news | author=Steve Rose | title=Irony man | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/may/09/1 | work=The Guardian | date=2008-05-09 | accessdate=2008-09-19] The film was released in the UK and in the US in 2008.cite news | author=Stephen Holden | title=Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine, Then Back Down Again | url=http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/movies/29serv.html | work=New York Times | date=2008-08-29 | accessdate=2008-09-17] [cite news | author=Peter Bradshaw | title=I Served the King of England | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/may/09/comedy.romance | work=The Guardian | date=2008-05-09 | accessdate=2008-09-19]

Cast

* Ivan Barnev (Jan Dítě, as a young man)
* Oldrich Kaiser (Jan Dítě, as an older man)
* Julia Jentsch (Liza)
* Martin Huba (Skřivánek)
* Marian Labuda (Walden)
* Milan Lasica (Professor)
* Josef Abrhám (Brandejs)
* Jaromír Dulava (Karel)
* Pavel Nový (General)
* István Szabó (stock marketeer)
* Tonya Graves (Emperor of Abyssinia)
* Rudolf Hrusínský (Tichota)
* Petr Ctvrtnícek (stock broker)
* Jirí Sesták (waiter)
* Zdenek Zák (militiaman)
* Emília Vásáryová (Mrs Rajska)
* Zuzana Fialová (Marcela)
* Václav Chalupa (Hrdlicka)
* Petra Hrebícková (Jaruska)
* Eva Kalcovská (Wanda)
* Sárka Petruzelová (Julinka)

ynopsis

Jan Dítě has been released from a Czech prison just before the very end of his 15-year sentence and is settling in a town near the border between Czechoslovakia and Germany. He occupies his time with rebuilding a deserted house. After he meets a young woman, Marcela, he begins to recall his past to her. Jan says that his main wish in life was to be a millionaire.

Jan begins his career as a frankfurter vendor at a railroad station. He gradually moves into more socially prestigious work settings, including working as a waiter at the Hotel Paříž, where he falls under the tutelage of the head waiter, Skřivánek, who claims that he once served the King of England. Eventually, Jan serves the Emperor of Ethiopia at one occasion.

With the annexation of Czechoslovakia during the Third Reich, Jan falls in love with Liza, a young German Sudetenland woman who worships Adolf Hitler. She agrees to marry him only after he proves that he is of pure Aryan descent through medical examination.

During World War II, Jan works in an institute, formerly a hotel, where German women are resident to breed a new "master race" with selected soldiers. In the meantime, Liza serves as a nurse on the Russian front. She returns with valuable stamps taken from the homes of Polish-Jewish families. The stamps' value allows Jan to become a wealthy hotelier.

After the Communists take power in Czechoslovakia in 1948, Jan loses his property and wealth. He is sentenced to prison for one year per each million in his personal fortune.

Critical Response

As of October 11, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 80% of critics rated the film positively based on 71 reviews, with a consensus of "With charm and an eye for life's bittersweet moments, Czech New Wave master Jiri Menzel paints a picaresque story with whimsy and intellect." [cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/i_served_the_king_of_england/ |title=I Served the King of England Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=2008-10-11 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 72 out of 100 based on 26 reviews, indicating a generally favorable response. [cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/iservedthekingofengland?q=I%20Served%20the%20King%20of%20England |title=I Served the King of England (2008): Reviews |accessdate=2008-10-11 |publisher=Metacritic]

References

External links

* [http://www.cfn.cz/detail_film.php?14679 CFN Entry]
*imdb title|id=0284363|title=Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále
* [http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2007/01/17/ill-serving-a-sage-of-czech-literature.php Review] in The Prague Post