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6.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Máj remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you need a movie to move from point A to point B without stopping to look at the scenery, stay away. You will be bored to tears within ten minutes. But if you want something that feels like a dusty old poem you found in an attic, this might actually stick with you.
It’s definitely not for everyone. The pacing is… let’s call it meditative, though some might just call it slow. You really have to be in the mood to let the atmosphere do the heavy lifting.
There’s a scene near the middle where the light hits the trees in such a specific way, I actually forgot I was watching a film and felt like I was standing in the mud myself. It’s those little moments that make me keep watching these old, quiet movies. You don’t get that in a big studio blockbuster.
E.F. Burian has this look in his eyes throughout that makes you wonder if he’s acting or just remembering something he forgot to tell someone. It’s haunting in a way that feels unscripted. 🧐
It’s not perfect. Sometimes the editing feels like it was done by someone who was half-asleep. There’s a sudden shift in tone about halfway through that feels like a glitch in the projector. But maybe that’s just how life is, right? Just a series of abrupt shifts.
I caught myself checking my watch, but then I stopped. Who cares what time it is? The movie certainly doesn't.
It’s the kind of thing that would probably make a great double feature with something totally opposite, like Two-Gun of the Tumbleweed, just to see if your brain would completely short-circuit from the whiplash. 🤠
Anyway, don't look for a lesson. Don't look for a point. Just look at the light. That's probably enough for today.