Věra 68

A compelling insight into the eventful life of a great warrior in a skirt. Sommer engagingly captures the inner emotional world of Čáslavská while avoiding boring descriptiveness. Listening to Čáslavská talk with great enthusiasm and energy is an experience in itself. And those gymnastics at the end? You can see that Věra still has it in her :o) (2012.07.22)

I've heard it said about this film that "Mrs. Čáslavská's Marbleization turned out great." It is in this sentence that lies the stumbling block. Precisely because it contains a solid bit of truth. The film recalls the national revival with its production of patriotic icons and adoration of patriotism. Sommerová not only lacks distance from her heroine, but she also does not hide her friendship and complete identification with Věra. The documentary does not investigate, seek, or reflect, it only carefully fulfills a long-established stereotype of an exceptional woman-hero and symbol of resistance against occupation. From a professional point of view, it is a routine three-star film, but you can, of course, add stars for identifying with the famous athlete. However, there is still the last third of the film, where the tragic death of Mr. Odložil's ex-husband is discussed - again completely one-sidedly. In the early 1990s, he met his son at a disco and after a brief exchange of views, ended up on the floor with a fatal head injury. The son was sentenced for causing bodily harm resulting in death. The trial was closely followed by the media, partly because Věra was a national celebrity, and partly because it was expected how Václav Havel, as her friend and employer, would behave. As expected, a presidential pardon came, leaving the Odložil family shocked and puzzled by the strange conclusion to the whole case. Sommerová could (wisely) have avoided discussing this painful family tragedy. Otherwise, she should have given space to the other side, sought witnesses, and allowed expert witnesses to speak. Instead, viewers are witness to the embarrassing emotional outpouring of John Bok, a peculiar figure of post-communist society. The film does not deserve more than an overall impression of 40% for this low blow. It is worth mentioning that Sommerová does not realize how problematic her approach is, even though she belongs to those who willingly swear by morals and give lessons on behavior. (2013.01.28)

This is definitely an interesting documentary. It doesn't show us anything new, but it shows us one of the most important Czech sports personalities who definitely deserves to be remembered. It's interesting how one person's life can have highs and lows and various twists and turns that are unexpected and strange. (2017.10.02)