Madla z cihelny: A dusty, honest look back

If you have a couple of hours to kill and a high tolerance for old-school melodrama that doesn't care about being subtle, Madla z cihelny is for you. If you need snappy pacing or modern editing to stay awake, stay far, far away.

It’s not perfect. Honestly, it’s a bit of a slog in the middle, but there’s something about the way Lída Baarová holds the frame that makes you forgive the clunky dialogue.

The cinematography feels like it’s struggling to catch up with the performances. There are these long, lingering shots where nobody is saying anything, and the silence just sits there. It’s not profound, it’s just there.

I found myself staring at the background details more than the actual plot. The way the light hits the brickwork—very fitting, given the title—actually tells more of a story than the script does sometimes.

It reminded me a little of the vibe in A Gentleman of Quality, though that one had a bit more pep in its step. This one is definitely more somber.

There is this one scene where a character walks across a room and the floorboards creak, but the audio mix completely misses it, so it looks like they are floating. It’s tiny, but I couldn't unsee it.

Is it a masterpiece? Nah. But it feels like a genuine artifact of its time. You can see the effort they put into making every single frame look like a postcard, even when the story itself feels like it’s running out of gas.

Baarová is the real anchor here. Without her, the whole thing might just drift away into boredom. She carries the weight of the movie like it’s nothing.

I kept thinking about The Queen of Aces and how differently they handled the lead’s downfall. Here, it’s quieter. Less shouting, more staring at walls.

The pacing is genuinely weird. It jumps from high-intensity drama to absolute stillness without warning. It makes for a very strange viewing rhythm.

• The lighting in the final act is surprisingly moody.
• The supporting cast mostly just stands around looking worried.
• The title is very literal, which I kind of appreciate.
• The music cues sometimes start five seconds too late.

Don't expect to be blown away. Just expect to see something that feels like it actually happened a long time ago. It’s dusty, it’s a bit broken, and it’s totally worth the headache if you’re into this sort of thing. 🎞️