The Valley of the Bees

1968 [CZECH]

Drama

6
IMDb Rating 7.7/10 10 2042 2K

middle ages (476-1453) 13th century

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Plot summary

Cast out by his father, young Ondrej joins the Order of the Teutonic Knights, where he is raised by strict monk Armin. After years of hardship, Ondrej escapes from the Order when he is wrongly punished, and sets out for his former home. Arriving to discover his father to be dead, Ondrej now not only assumes control of his father's properties, but seeks to marry his former stepmother.

Director

Frantisek Vlácil Photo
Frantisek Vlácil

Top cast

Petr Sedlák Photo
Petr Sedlák as A Collier
Frantisek Kovárík Photo
Frantisek Kovárík as Shepherd
Vlastimil Hasek Photo
Vlastimil Hasek as
Vera Galatíková Photo
Vera Galatíková as Lenora
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
923.28 MB
1280*544
Czech 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  ro  
24 fps
1 hr 43 min
Seeds 23
1.67 GB
1918*816
Czech 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  ro  
24 fps
1 hr 43 min
Seeds 57

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by morrison-dylan-fan 7 / 10

"But your spirit will rise,above your weakness,and human wretchedness."

Reviewed by cranesareflying 8 / 10

"One must suffer to find God."

Reviewed by Red-125 8 / 10

A Czech film that takes place in a grim setting

The Czech movie "Údolí vcel," directed by Frantisek Vlácil, was shown in the U.S. with the title "Valley of the Bees" (1968). The film is set in the Middle Ages, in a time of unrest and ceaseless war or preparations for war.A young man, Ondrej, (Petr Cepek) is attending the wedding of his father to a much younger woman, Lenora (the famed Czech actor Vera Galatíková). The boy presents flowers to the bride, but underneath the flowers he has placed bats. His father is so furious that he seizes his son, and flings him against a stone wall. The young man is unconscious, and appears dead. His father vows that, if the child is saved, he will dedicate him to a religious life.The boy does, indeed, survive and enters an order of religious knights, who are sworn to piety and celibacy. At the home of the order, Ondrej is taken under the wing of a somewhat older knight, Armin (Jan Kacer). Armin has an obvious homoerotic attraction towards Ondrej, although it's not clear to me whether there is a mutual attraction. The rest of the drama plays out when Ondrej decides to return home, which is forbidden. Other knights who have attempted to leave the order have been caught and (literally) thrown to the dogs. Armin follows the younger man, presumably in order to bring him back safely to the order. Events really begin when Ondrej reaches his destination.Another reviewer has compared this film to Bergman, and I agree. Think "Seventh Seal" with rampant self-flagellation, superstition, and violence. Not an easy or a pleasant movie, but a powerful and memorable one.We saw the film in the wonderful Gene Siskel Theatre in Chicago. Where else could you see a Czech movie made over 40 years ago? The Siskel Theatre is one of Chicago's cultural treasures. Like The Seventh Seal, this film will work better on a large screen, but if it's available on DVD, by all means see it. You may or may not like it, but you won't forget it.
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