Twenty five years ago, Czech cinema learned to sing again. Rebels premiered in 2001, filled cinemas across the country, and its songs have been playing at Czech parties ever since. Now, for its birthday, it arrives newly on Blu-ray.
Rebels (Rebelové, 2001) by Filip Renč tells the story of a great love that history was not kind to. Prague, 1968: a romance between a young student and a soldier who has deserted the army unfolds against the backdrop of the Prague Spring. And it is all told through the beloved Czech pop hits of the sixties, in colourful retro style, with exuberant dance numbers that made the whole country hum along.
Zuzana Norisová and Jan Révai became stars overnight, and the film turned into one of the most successful Czech pictures of its era. It is nostalgic and joyful, and at the same time quietly heartbreaking, because everyone watching knows what August 1968 brought and how many love stories ended at the border.
The new Blu-ray edition presents the film in full high definition, so the colours of the sixties pop like never before. The disc comes with Czech audio and Czech subtitles, which makes it a wonderful gift for Czech speaking viewers and for anyone who grew up with these songs.
And a small historical note: at the end of this month we celebrate October 28, the founding day of Czechoslovakia, and we will mark it on the blog with a true First Republic gem. Stay tuned.
🎶 Get Rebels newly on Blu-ray here
👉 Catching up on October's new releases? Read about Tomáš Vorel's comedy Džob and Jan Svěrák's new film Five Plums.
