The new Czech film Poklad, which is showing in cinemas from Thursday, tries to revive an old Hollywood cliché. The clash of a charismatic drunkard and a settled woman “from the stove” is a widely used motif at least since the film The African Queen from 1951. However, the creators of the domestic version boldly rid the popular theme of adventure works of any adventure.
The heroine Julie comes literally from the stove, albeit in a somewhat more emancipated presentation. The chef of a Michelin-starred restaurant is decisive, temperamental and also really angry with a man whose letters she hasn’t opened in seven years.
When he decides to break this resolution, he reads a request to lend him half a million crowns. This infuriates the heroine so much that she takes a week off from her dream job with the owner and goes to the other side of the world to solve her nightmare.
Julie arrives on the Indonesian island of Bali and finds him in one of the local bungalows. He is lying with his head on the table among ten beer bottles. And it’s not a former partner or lover, but her bon vivant father, lifelong obsessed with the hunt for the wreck of a ship called the Flower of the Sea, which sank somewhere unknown at the beginning of the 16th century.
From these indications, one would almost like to believe that the screenwriter and director Rudolf Havlík intends to consciously update and overturn the well-known Hollywood formulas, which are now somewhat ossified.
Veronika Khek Kubařová plays an action heroine who is definitely not subject to the dominance of any man. And Jiří Langmajer in the role of the father is completely different from charismatic toughs or “corals” in the spirit of Humphrey Bogart or Michael Douglas.
The theme of the Treasure would hardly be a short story. The picture shows Jiří Langmajer in the role of Karl and Veronika Khek Kubařová as Julie. | Photo: Radek Bajgar
So – his character is undoubtedly also a cockroach, but the script denies him any charisma. The red burnt skin, on the other hand, supports the impression of a castaway who, for some strange reason, made three other people stubbornly search with him at the bottom of the ocean to see if they would get lucky and discover a wreck with treasure.
It’s nice that, unlike foreign colleagues, the creators show alcoholism as a not very positive thing. However, from a cinematic narrative point of view, this represents perhaps too bold a move. Especially when the Treasure no longer has any other trumps at its disposal than the potential charisma of the heroes. It’s definitely not an adventure film. And nothing happens in it at all.
Promotional materials point out that the crew filmed most of the scenes underwater with stuntmen and that no one has tried anything similar in our country. That’s nice, but the whole thing feels like all the footage ends there too.
In Treasure, the protagonists are either sitting in their abode or diving. It’s about as exciting as any episode of an underwater documentary produced by National Geographic – with the difference that everything looks a little worse visually and that the footage is not focused on exotic fauna or flora, but on slowly moving divers. Nothing else will happen in the news, the subject of which would hardly be a short story.
Romantic relationships are logically not in danger here, reconciliation between father and daughter is both unsurprising and implausible. It is not clear why Julie suddenly stays with him and his cronies for an extended period of time, when she has hated him for the previous seven years and has a job at home that fulfills her. And when, on top of that, her father didn’t do anything to sway her. Except that he sometimes yells and gets drunk every night.
This new type of adventure in the spirit of Indiana Jones, which is characterized by the absence of a hero and adventure, is otherwise just a parade of not very believable scenes.
The women here behave according to the needs of Czech mainstream art – sometimes they trip over something, sometimes they scream. One time Julie rummages through the local junk, another time her father’s co-worker screams when she finds mice in the pantry. It’s strange that she hasn’t gotten used to it in the years they’ve lived here.
The treasure looks roughly like when filmmakers arrive at an exotic location determined to immortalize anything that even the average adrenaline-seeking tourist would film.
There are a few postcard-neat shots of ports, local streets or a vessel in the middle of the water. And endless scenes below the surface. The only driving force behind the story remains the desire to find the treasure. So the heroes just search until they succeed.
When similar dull boredom takes place in the interiors of Czech apartments, it can still be understood. But why go out to Bali, why invest in shooting underwater scenes if they lead to nothing? About twice we see a dramatic situation where a character’s life is at stake. This manifests itself in the fact that he gestures a little more and the water bubbles a little more.
The Treasure is a rather unexciting film whose heroes do not undergo any internal transformation. Jiří Langmajer in the role of professor and adventurer still behaves the same, it is not very clear why the daughter should find her way to him, although the circumstances of Julia’s mother’s tragic death are revealed in a hint, which cast a slightly different light on the father and husband.
Otherwise, the film is completely devoid of any relational dynamics between the protagonists. In short, it just goes on and on until it all works out somehow.
Film
Treasure
Screenplay and direction: Rudolf Havlík
CinemArt, in theaters from October 24.
The review critiques a film titled “Treasure,” focusing on its lack of engaging narrative and character development. The protagonist, portrayed by Jiří Langmajer, is described as a dislikable character who embodies negativity, particularly through his depiction of alcoholism, which the film seemingly handles in a rather unflattering way. This approach might be seen as an attempt to portray realism, but from a storytelling perspective, it falls flat, leaving viewers with little to invest in emotionally.
The review further expresses dissatisfaction with the film’s pacing and excitement, comparing it unfavorably to a National Geographic underwater documentary. It notes that the film is largely confined to scenes of the characters either sitting idly or diving, which does not produce the thrilling adventure that the film’s title suggests. The romantic subplot between the father and daughter is also criticized for being implausible and unconvincing, particularly in light of their established animosity.
Women in the film are characterized as traditional figures in Czech mainstream cinema, mostly serving as background characters without significant agency. Notably, the review draws attention to the unrealistic scenarios presented, where characters react to mundane situations in exaggerated ways that detract from the film’s authenticity.
“Treasure” is described as lacking a coherent adventure arc, relying on unremarkable character interactions, and failing to effectively engage its audience. It makes the case that this film might better serve as a cautionary tale about adapting adventure narratives rather than a fulfilling cinematic experience.
To engage with. The underwater scenes, while technically ambitious, do not elevate the film’s overall impact, resembling an unexciting documentary rather than a gripping adventure. The romantic subplots and character dynamics lack depth, leading to a narrative that feels stagnant and lacks tension.
The review highlights how the characters do not experience significant growth or change throughout the film, making the storyline feel tedious. The script’s failure to create relatable or charismatic protagonists results in low stakes for the audience. Moments that could introduce excitement or drama are described as almost mundane, lacking the thrill expected from a film rooted in treasure hunting and adventure. the film is critiqued for its inability to effectively combine its thematic elements into a coherent and engaging narrative.