SMRADI (BRATS)
Czech Republic, 2002, 97 minutes, Colour.
Ivan Trojan, Petra Spalkova, Lukas Rejsck, Jan Cina, Tomas Klouda.
Directed by Zdenek Tyk.
Smradi is a socially conscious film from the Czech Republic. It focuses on two genial parents who move from the city to the country for the betterment of their children. They had adopted two gypsies because they were unable to have their own child. However, they eventually have a son, who suffers from asthma. In the country town the two older boys are subjected to prejudice from the others in the school. When a racist elderly man on a visit to a cemetery finds that his windscreen is smashed, he assumes that it is one of the gypsy children and is hostile, even violent and antagonistic to the whole family. The parents pursue the matter, confronting the man, getting information from his wife that, in fact, the husband had not seen whoever damaged his vehicle.
While the plot is meagre, the important aspect of the film is its characterisations and performances as well as raising the issues of prejudice in Czech society.
1. An interesting and entertaining film? About family, children? Racial prejudice?
2. The Czech countryside, the small towns, the contrast with the cities, the schools, the homes, the woods, cemetery? Musical score?
3. The title and its focus on the three children, the townspeople's criticism of them, the contrast with the love from their parents?
4. The focus of the film on Franta, his being bullied at school, riding his bike, crossing the path of Bartak and being accused of throwing the rock? His brother not sure whether to believe him or not, the clash between the two boys?
5. The family situation: the genial father, his love for his sons, listening to the problems, caring for them, the meal, the wife absent with the youngest son at the doctor's? The mother, the decision to adopt the two boys, bring them up? Their own son, his asthma, taking him to the doctor, caring for him? The three boys and their relationship with each other, sharing the room, clashes yet love for each other?
6. The incident with the rock and the windscreen, the man and the woman at the cemetery, the man and his antagonism, assumptions about gypsies, violence, attacking Franta, criticising the father, continual antagonism? The contrast with his wife, her fears, trying to calm her husband, the mother's visit and the wife saying that the old man was always like this, that he had not seen whoever threw the stone?
7. The film drawing the characters of the three boys, their age, backgrounds, experience, interactions? Outings with their parents, going across the bridge into the town? Accepted, not accepted? At school?
8. The background characters, the people at the school, in the town? A cross-section of country Czech people? Contemporary issues of family, prejudice?
