The imdb describes the film like so: “In the aftermath of World War II, a former Czech soldier takes charge of a manor formerly owned by a German family. He falls in love with the daughter, who is now a maid, and is forced to confront the stress between his love and his conscience when he discovers her sheltering her German-soldier brother.” I found “Adelheid” to be a thoroughly absorbing and eye opening experience as it dealt with a moment in Czechoslovakian history that I was totally unaware about. The film takes place directly after the Allies success of World War II, and sees a time where the Czech locals went about removing ethnic Germans from the country, due to their distrust of them and believing that a peace would not last unless they were removed from the country. Interestingly, the sheer number of Germans that lived in Czechoslovakia at this time accounted for around one quarter of the total population, who were then forcibly displaced or used almost like slaves for the most menial tasks to help the “natural” Czech people. The treatment of these German people during this time was an embarrassment and shameful, but at that time, due to the very recent horrors they suffered at the hands of the Nazi's, the Czech people just saw it as a “tit-for-tat” kind of situation, and thought nothing of the demeaning way they were treating these people who had little to do with the horrific elements of the war just past. Such was the controversial nature of this German displacement out of Czechoslovakia, it comes as no surprise that very few films were made about the topic, which is one of the reasons why “Adelheid” is so special.
The film begins with a sequence that is quite different from the rest of the movie to come, as we are on a crowded train on it's journey through tunnels and the Sudetenland forest. When it reaches it's destination, we meet a former lieutenant, Viktor, who is looking very sick and sorry for himself, sitting on the floor of the train. The distrusting atmosphere in the air means that Viktor is soon attacked, being mistaken for one of the enemy attempting to hide amongst the locals. This is quickly resolved, as his true identity is revealed, and Viktor soon learns that he has been gifted the manor of the highest ranking Nazi that lived in the area. It is now his, whilst he cleans it up, and gets rid of all of the Nazi's possessions, giving him a chance to relax after the horrors of the war. He is then told that he will have a maid, the titular Adelheid, who he later finds out is actually the daughter of the Nazi who lived in this house, and is awaiting to be hanged for his war crimes. The rest of the film takes place in the confines of this manor, with Adelheid and Viktor unable to properly communicate due to their differing languages, however a bond is soon created between the two of them. Unlike the rest of the soldiers that visit the manor, Viktor actually treats Adelheid with respect, and not as an object to be abused and ridiculed. He understands how hard it must be for Adelheid, who once lived free in this giant abode, to now being on her hands and knees scrubbing it's floors on a daily basis. It isn't long before Viktor falls for Adelheid, and it appears the feeling may be mutual, but can Viktor trust his instincts or is Adelheid using him and pretending to love him as a means to cope through her unthinkable torture?
What I really loved about “Adelheid” is the tense atmosphere that František Vláčil has been able to create in the film. You are always unbalanced, never really sure where each character stands, while both are suffering through the traumas they have suffered during the war. Even during scenes of intimacy or perceived respect of one another, there is also a feeling of uneasiness and distrust. I also really liked the voyeuristic nature of the film, especially early on, when Viktor is watching and studying Adelheid from afar, through cracks in the walls, or bullet holes in the windows. You can feel him falling in love with the young woman, but you also get the feeling that this will be a love doomed from the very beginning due to the effects of the war just past, as no one can fully trust someone else, particularly someone they do not know. Adelheid herself, is a strong character and is not afraid to look anyone else directly in the eye, even when they are belittling her or looking down at her. She understands her self worth, and will not take being disrespected quietly, even if this means more trouble for herself down the track.
As I mentioned above, this was František Vláčil's first colour film, and yet he doesn't fill the screen with an explosion of colour, rather “Adelheid” is a rather muted affair, focusing on dark greens, greys and browns. It is almost like a “black and white” colour film, as bright loud colours have no place in the story Vláčil is telling. It is a bleak tale, and the visual style matches perfectly. Being set in a giant manor, Vláčil gloriously leans in to the Gothic and it works so well. As usual, visually the film is outstanding and I particularly loved the scenes set in the snow in the graveyard, but my favourite moment is when Viktor and Adelheid go to bed together for the first time, and they turn the lights off so the two characters are silhouetted against the darkness which is just a stunning moment (and also a pivotal turning point in the film, although you do not realise this until much later). The film has a very classic feel to it, and an almost Hitchcock-like visual sense, but this may be just due to the fact that so much of it takes place indoors in a giant house, which gives Vláčil the chance to exploit the types of camera moves that Hitchcock was so famous for.
Similar to “The Devil's Trap”, “Adelheid” is anchored by two wonderful lead performances, both of them very internal, since the characters can not speak to communicate. The always dependable Petr Cepek is excellent as Viktor, who plays the ex-lieutenant with a level of understanding and respect towards Adelheid, while also suffering through post traumatic stress over the atrocities he witnessed during the war. He is trying to find some sort of beauty in all this madness, but by letting his guard down so easily, may find himself duped and taken advantage of. I think it is fair to say that Cepek doesn't instil his character with a lot of strength; he appears exhausted with the world after the war, and has little left in his tank to fight, if it came to that. Meanwhile, Emma Cerna is almost the opposite, as she exudes a quiet strength, almost stoic in her appearance. There is an anger behind her eyes, that also signals that she may be more dangerous than she first appears to be. That said, there are times when her anger softens and she appears to genuinely have a care for Viktor, particularly during one moment when he is having a PTSD attack, and she cradles him as it passes. When it comes to the supporting characters, I suppose if I was to have any negatives towards “Adelheid”, it is that they are particularly one-note and border on caricature and stereotype. However, this is not their story, as the main focus is on Viktor and Adelheid's love story, which we can bet right from the beginning will end in doom for them both.
Overall, I thought “Adelheid” was a very good, and immensely interesting film, delving into a subject that I knew nothing about prior. As usual for a film directed by František Vláčil, the film making craftsmanship on display is sensational, with the director really leaning into the Gothic vibes of his story, to wonderful effect, and he has been ably assisted by his stars Petr Cepek and Emma Cerna, who give fantastic, subtle performances. This is a tense film about a doomed love affair, but a richly rewarding viewing experience for fans of Czech cinema.
3.5 Stars.
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