At the end of the 14th century, the lands of the Czech Crown are torn by tyranny and violence. Jan Zizka and a group of his mercenaries are hired to protect the king's representative. Jan will demonstrate great strategic and combat skills.
Subsequently, he is entrusted with the service for the king himself, Wenceslas IV. But the land is actually controlled by Henry of Rozmberk, the richest magnate in the kingdom. Jan receives another delicate task: to kidnap Rozmberk's fiancee Katerina. This inevitably gets him involved in high politics. From that moment on, he has no choice. They must fight. Jan's mercenary values are shaken to their foundations. Passion, guilt, lust, and revenge become the driving force behind his fight for justice and equality for the common people. At that time, the mercenary becomes a legend. A warlord is born who will fight for everything he believes in. Petr Jakl's historical film tells the story of the beginnings of the Hussite general Jan Zizka against the background of the stormy events of 1402.
I think the rating of this film is quite underrated. Many Czechs expected a completely historically credible film, but few read the statement of the director Petr Jakl, who announced several times that it would not be a documentary. Jakl gave the film an absolutely god-awful medieval atmosphere and let the whole thing be wrapped in a wonderful musical undertone, dominated by the classic " Ktoz jsu bozi bojovnici" (Who are God's warriors) for several variations.
He filmed it in Hollywood style, with good world actors. Everyone is absolutely great. Ben Foster as Jan Zizka really excited me and Sophie Lowe as Katerina just as much. Jakl filmed it in the Czech environment, in the Czech nature and with Czech castles, which he beautifully captured, thereby presenting our country to the whole world. Well, he also introduced to the world what I had dreamed of for many years. In other words, the fact that we too have a distinct medieval history that is worth knowing, or at least knowing about it.
For me, this film is an absolute gem in every way. If I should go to the cinema repeatedly to see something, it would be Jan Zizka.
10/10