Pearls of the Deep

Representing a who's-who of the Czech New Wave, this omnibus brings together filmmakers Jan Nemec, Vera Chytilova, Jaromil Jires, Jiri Menzel, and Evald Schorm to adapt the stories of Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal, whose work embraced the nation's many outsiders, dreamers, and drunks. Nemec's piece, The Imposters, follows two old men who regale each other with tales of their many accomplishments and victories, which may or may not have actually occurred. Each filmmaker would go on, of course, to contribute their own features to the Czechoslovak New Wave, making Pearls a fascinating compendium of artists just beginning to discover-or hone-their approaches.

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