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’sremarkablesen搜索引擎优化fawarenessofframing,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《魔鬼的陷阱》是一部优秀的剧情片影视作品,提起捷克斯洛伐克电影,人们就肯定会想到《魔鬼的陷阱》,这部由法兰提塞·维拉席导演,Vítezslav,Vejrazka,米罗斯拉夫·马哈切克,Cestmír,Randa,Vít,Olmer,Karla,Chadimová,Vlastimil,Hasek,Frantisek,Kovárík,雅罗斯拉夫·毛奇卡,约瑟夫·赫利诺马兹,贝德里奇·卡兰,Jirí,Belohoubek,Jirina,Bílá,Monika,Indingerová,Ladislav,Kazda,Milan,Kindl,伊里·弗斯塔拉,法兰提塞·维拉席主演的《魔鬼的陷阱》,在剧里,每一个演员出色的表演将剧中角色形象呈现得栩栩如生。无论是剧情、演员的表演还是剧中歌曲,都是该片的美妙亮点所在。真正是成为一匹黑马,创造了一个奇迹。为何这么说,我想,就连大伙们都没有想到这部剧情片会得到这样好的反响。法兰提塞·维拉席先生拼凑大家到一起创作出来一部作品,也真是缘分!所以,正是这样的团体感和强烈的自尊心,他们在电影中投入的热情,是我们难以想象的,其实魔鬼的陷阱中的人物心理历程和逼人的剧情,何尝不是现实中的真实写照呢?所以,他们怀着一腔心有不甘的英雄气,用他们的实力和人情成就了这部经典的剧情片,也成就了他们自己!