魔鬼的陷阱

InthetimeofCounter-Reformation, amillerandhissoncomeunderinvestigationbyapriestoftheInquisition, whenrumorsspreadthattheirprosperitycomesfromworkingwiththeDevil.TheDevil’sTrapisafilmdirectedbyFrantišekVlá?il, basedonanovelbyAlfrédTechnik, adaptedbyFrantišekA.DvorákandMilošKratochvíl.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?kLiška(perhapsthemostprolificcomposeroftheCzechNewWave).InthishissecondofelevencollaborationswithVlá?il, hiscompositionsareusedsparingly, buttogreateffect, complimentingbutneveroverpoweringascene.Thebestexampleofwhichcanbeheardinanamazinglyshotcelebrationanddancesequenceattheendofthesecondact.TheDevil’sTrapmightnotbeamasterpiece, butitisstillastrongeffort, withafascinatingstraightforwardstoryandaglorioushistoricalsettingcapturedbeautifullybyVlá?il’sunmistakablevisualprowess.AfineworkthatwouldalsobetheperfectstarterplatetoprepareyourselfforthechallengingfeastofMarketaLazarováorTheValleyoftheBees.Itevenhasaneasytodigestrunningtime.It’sthereforepuzzlingwhythisgemremainslargelyoverlookedandignored.