The 1960s were an interesting time for Czechoslovakian cinema. It seems that they were making some amazing films about WWII and the Nazi era. I think the best of these was "The Shop on Main Street" but "Closely Watched Trains" was also an intriguing film. As for "The Cremator", it, too, is very good--but it's one you might have to force yourself to stick with, as the film, stylistically, is hard to love. But you need to stick with it--it's worth your time.

The first thing I noticed about this movie was its deliberately 'artsy' style. Too many oddly framed closeups and an insistence on a roving camera made me initially hate the film. However, over time it began to grow on me. "The Cremator" is the story of Kopfrkingl---a really weird guy who loves his job of running the crematorium just before Czechoslovakia was absorbed by the Nazis in 1938. He is very philosophical and really loves the Tibetan "Book of the Dead". As a result, he believes his job is freeing souls from suffering so that they can be reincarnated to a better life. He also slowly comes to embrace the upcoming Nazi regime--a problem since his wife is half-Jewish. This problem their children slowly come to haunt this loving family man.

What I liked was not only the weird places the plot goes and how Kopfrkingl solves his problem with Nazis, but the creepy way he's portrayed. I loved his use of the comb throughout the film--you just have to see it to know what I mean. It is truly an unusual and inventive plot. Strikes against it are the camera-work as well as the clothing and fashions. Yes, once again the history teacher within me rears its ugly head, but the folks in the film did NOT look like they were from 1938 but the 1960s. Their hair and clothes were all wrong--odd details to have missed and probably something that won't bother the less detail-obsessed out there. Still, overall it's very worth seeing--just force yourself to stick with this one despite its rather flat beginning.

"The Cremator" is Karel Kopfrkingl, played beautifully by Rudolf Hrusinsky, a man who fought for Germany in the Great War (World War I) and is now a crematorium operator in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s. His friend, a member of the Nazi party, tries to steer him towards fighting for Germany again, but will Karel give up his comfortable life and semi-Jewish family?

I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this one. When I found out that Dark Sky was releasing it, I instantly found myself interested. And despite having no knowledge of Czech horror or Czech cinema in general, Dark Sky did not disappoint. "The Cremator" truly is a forgotten classic. Who knew that as early as 1968 that Czechoslovakia was releasing films that were well-scripted, well-acted and most interestingly... extremely well-shot with quality footage (decades ahead of Italian cinema).

Actor Rudolf Hrusinsky and director Juraj Herz are a perfect combination when combining black comedy, morbidity, and what the box describes as "surrealism" and "expressionism". The surrealism is evident: the first ten minutes contain many camera shots that warp our sense of safety and familiarity, calling to mind for me "The Holy Mountain". I can't think of another film that is even close to these two in this regard.

The pace is steady, with Karel's descent a gradual, but well-paced journey for the viewer. Can a "sensitive" man be transformed into a Jew-hating, violence-loving monster who can turn away from his family? I won't say how far he goes, but some key scenes involve a carnival's haunted wax museum and the unusual execution of some cats. And that's just the beginning.

Of course, those who don't like black and white films or subtitles are going to be scared away. You are missing out, my friends. "The Cremator" is visually stunning and grips you with a dead, icy hand that cannot be denied. 2009 has had a handful of good films released, but most are stinkers. "Cremator" is no stinker... this film has been embalmed perfectly and is as fresh today -- if not more fresh -- than it was on the day it was filmed. Do not rent a copy -- buy one!

Hrusinsky is quite good in this one as the Tibetan Buddhism obsessed, German cremator Kropfkringl who dreams of sending people to their afterlife and reincarnation while becoming a "savior" like the Dalai Lama. It is a good political satire of the Fascists in Czechia and the Sudetenland right before WWII.

The film is both horrible and comedic, and the gruesome murders of his wife and son are done in a very comical way. The film also uses the very sexually explicit imagery that the Czech new wave was known for which only adds to the perversion. One "comedic" scene is where the cremator praises German Fascism and the very act of death itself at his own wife's funeral while his comrades hail him and cheer him on. The scene where Kropfkringl discusses the beauty of a Jewish ceremony while scapegoating them to his NSDAP comrades in an intercut scene was masterful editing.

The soundtrack to this is very beautiful. I feel Terry Gilliam must have been influenced by this film and Czech New Wave films like it because many parts of the soundtrack and cinematography reminded me of Baron Munchausen and some of his other films (including an ending shot and scene that seemed very reminiscent to me of Brazil's). Definitely worth watching, but some people just don't get it.