Review of Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970) by Hayden G — 17 Aug 2015

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (Valerie a týden div?) is a Czechoslovakian film from 1970 directed by Jaromil Jire. Based upon the 1932 novel of the same name by Czech writer Vít?zslav Nezval, the film tells the story of a young girl entering into womanhood through a surrealistic fairy tale lens.

Her overbearing grandmother, less than savory priests, local townsfolk, and even vampires make this transition for her an oddly whimsical one as she explores the many facets of a fantastical and dream-like world.

Although it has the appearance of a horror film from the presence of vampires in it, it doesn't quite deserve that moniker. It's also not a completely fantastical film either. It deals with subject matter that every woman can relate to, but through this particular filter, things can be sinister yet wondrous.

It's also far from an abstract film, yet at the same time, there's a certain amount of flight and fancy to it. Once our young star's cycle begins for the first time, reality and fantasy begin to float in and out of each other, and we're never quite sure what's actually taking place at any given time.

It can be flat out hallucinatory, but at other times it can appear relatively straightforward. Although it might be blindly confusing to many, it's a work with intentional whimsy put into it. It's an art piece with the purpose of evoking responses and ideas in its viewers.

It may not be as surreal as perhaps a Jodorowsky film, but nonetheless, it's still a mystery without any clear answers other than what you get out of it personally. Besides the lead actresses giving terrific performances, it's also a beautifully-photographed film, utilizing a very lush color palette in a world full of fantasy.