The Pagan Queen is a brooding, meandering, very German affair that is more belonging to the arthouse than the fantasy genre. It is an interesting story told in an interesting way. This is a unique film with it's approach to both the history and the folklore the story focuses upon and what it has to say because of that. However, as complex as the drama is, and how good the production design compliments it, the fantasy genre, which holds The Pagan Queen with one foot, holds it back from being a truly standout work.

The genre atypical soundtrack, performances and cinematography, are not charming here as they would be in an Asylum film, here they weaken the film's impact. It makes it look tacky. The Pagan Queen has a lot to say, but it does not talk a good game. It's underlit, overly theatrical at times and is generally too lightweight in it's direction to make full use of the interesting ideas rattling about within the script. Shame, because a genuinely gripping film is buried here underneath all the chaff.

This is a mythic tale combining legend and history, but above all it is a human drama. The Pagan Queen of the title is reputedly half Tree-elf and half human (there's a lovely myth about the girl's mother integral to the story), and her two sisters aren't fully human either, but the story doesn't directly revolve around their dual (magical or mythical) natures. Instead there is a strong message about Duality throughout the film; transitions; and balance in all things, especially human needs with nature.

It's a great story and visually satisfying. Overall I really enjoyed it. One of the things I liked best about the film was that it avoided most of the clichés so inherent in this type of film. The relationships were believable and complex. Even the reactions and betrayals of the people against their beloved Queen felt real and made sense in the context of the story and the times.

This is not a typical love story, and it's not your typical sword and sorcery flick. For anyone looking for lots of magic or swashbuckling sword play, you will be disappointed. The magic here is realistically spiritual and earth-based, not sparkling lights and instant fire spells. The film does a very good job of taking us back into the past and showing us what daily life and religious practices were probably really like in this time and place.

Now that I know it is based on traditional Czech legends I understand why it seemed as if the movie was trying to truncate a much longer story. Much like "Lord of the Rings", if you don't know the whole tale, the movie can seem a bit disjointed. The lengthy synopsis (with spoilers) relates the legend as it was supposedly told in the movie, but it did not actually follow the movie itself. If you read that synopsis before viewing the movie you may be confused.

On it's own, this movie never failed to entertain, but it did seem to struggle with timing. My biggest criticism may have had to do with the problems of making a Czech movie in English, in what surely was a second language for the actors and actresses. The main actress was lovely and the most believable, and I see a lot of promise in many of the leads, but the dialog sometimes suffered with awkward phrasing and the acting was occasionally flat--particularly the male lead.

From what I read in the synopsis, this was a controversial film when it was in its theater release. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because of the way it characterized an important relationship as lesbian--at least on one side. Perhaps because it portrayed the pagan way of life as so much more inherently fair and idyllic compared to what followed. Perhaps because it was so honest in it's portrayal of people generally considered legendary or mythical. The people in this film are all too human.

As someone who appreciates artistic cinematography, beautiful nature and the mystique of Europe's pagan past, this film should have been perfect for me since it has all of the above.

Clearly the film is an achievement based on its low budget. The topic is interesting and there is artistry in the execution, but the script, character development and acting are far below what most audiences consider to be professional standards, to the extent that it becomes difficult to follow.