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"Colonel Redl," one of the most beautifully filmed works I can

remember and one of the most important.
Istvan Szabo, the director who justly became quite well known because of the success of "Mephisto," followed his collaboration with Klaus Maria Brandauer in that hard-hitting political film with this equally memorable one.
Szabo is on record (actually, on DVD in the extras...) as saying film is only worthwhile if it can do something better than the older arts. He states it is the portrayal, in an intimate way which theater cannot, of human emotion.
His film gives the lie to this modesty, at least at applies to him.
"Redl" is exceptionally beautiful, rivalling great paintings in several scenes, not the least of which are the winter scenes of horses racing through a snow-covered forest. I also haven't seen superior costuming: the uniforms, gowns, and everyday dress are exquisite.
Szabo's storytelling style is direct, with no appreciable "style." Music, camera movement, and speeding of pace for dramatic effect all are eschewed: events and the actors themselves supply the impact.
Do not assume this somehow detracts from the film's excitement; rather, drama is supplied from the situations, the actors' skill, and the viewers' understanding of the issue at hand.
I say "issue" because to Szabo, what is truly important in his films is the moment in which characters decide whether or not to bend to overwhelming authority. In "Mephisto," the lead character is torn between his art and the Nazi authorities' imposition.
In the very different but equally fascinating "Redl," the character must choose between loyalty to the Archduke (yes, the one whose assassination directly led to WWI) and the monarch.
You will never have more critical moral imperatives so brilliantly exposed, such a shattering exhibition of human frailties, as in these Szabo films.
Perhaps the unease which a viewer feels--- the forced recognition of one's own imperfections--- digesting this film has led to its rather lukewarm reception over the decades.
It is unwarranted.
This is a major work by a towering director at the height of his considerable powers.


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Topic - "Colonel Redl," one of the most beautifully filmed works I can - tinear 15:45:58 04/23/07 (0)

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