Ten film není o potřebě Čechů dosáhnout nějakého uznání. Je to film o jediné věci. Naději. Tu naději kterou má Michal, že Jindřišku nakonec zaujme. O naději komunisty, že socialismus je dobrý. O naději antikomunisty, že skonči utiskování. Je o naději všech v konečně normální život. A o krutém probuzení, kterým je invaze Rusů. Probuzení komunisty který najednou vidí že socialismus je zlo. Probuzení antikomunisty, že svoboda nemá šanci. A vlastně i probuzení Michala že Jindřiška prostě není pro něj. A to strašlivé memento na konci filmu. Ti co uprchli z okupované země své blízké kteří zůstali často už neuviděli protože zemřeli dříve než se zemi vrátila svoboda. Ale autorce gratuluji, na mladou ženu vyrostlou v USA to hodnocení docela jde. Ale ono lidem v Česku kterým je dnes 20 také nelze vysvětlit co život tehdy byl a že na hranicích byly vysoké ploty, ostnaté dráty a svého času i s elektřinou + strážní věže s kulomety aby ten ráj nikdo nemohl opustit. Takže palec nahoru.

I'd say the message of this movie and other Czech tragic comedies is: "Live sucks, but it's still fun." Because that is actually our attitude.

The boots and socks were actually military-issue, so it wasn't even something that Sebek bought, it was something he got for free at his job. I wouldn't have picked up on it, but my dad did (he had to do mandatory service).

This quote by Milan Kundera is probably the reason why Czechs like this movie: “[Large countries'] patriotism is different: they are buoyed by their glory, their importance, their universal mission. The Czechs loved their country not because it was glorious but because it was unknown; not because it was big but because it was small and in constant danger. Their patriotism was an enormous compassion for their country.”

I happened to be in CZ and I saw the premiere. When the movie was over I cried, thinking about my mother how she had to feel, we were those who had left in 1968...

Thank you for this review. This movie truly reveal many "hidden" feelings of being czech, at least from my perspective. What it does best is explaining the feeling people have around the communist era - no hope, no future, just endless despair and the most tragical feeling of knowing that we were just INCHES away from actual freedom after the war - if only americans who stopped just few kilometers away from Prague were allowed to liberate the capital, if only soviets came and left just as they did in Austria. SO MANY things would have been different, and the late 60s it actually looked like we could stay a socialist country while having opened borders, free press, no political prisoners, a government respecting human rights - which was all stopped by the soviet invasion, and until this day there are people who justify the invasion by saying that there was a contra revulution going on here. This movie brings insane cocktail of fun, nostalgia and limitless hatred of soviets.

Právě v tuhle chvíli jsem studijně v zahraničí, jediný Čech obklopen Němci, Francouzi, Italy, Holanďany. A ten neuvěřitelný pocit "underappreciation" zažívám dnes a denně. Jeden z Němců byl překvapen, že v tak malé zemi vůbec točíme filmy, pak se nestačil divit, když jsem mu vysvětlil, že oni každé Vánoce koukají na naší Libušku Šafránkovou a že to opravdu není Němka :) a podobných případů jsem zažil nespočet. Ze začátku ve mně opravdu vždy kousek umřel, když nás nazývají východní Evropou a podobně, ale po nějaké chvíli jsem se naučil mávnout nad tím rukou. Jsem trošku zklamaný z tohoto "ignoranství", ale zase se pak člověk může těšit domu, mezi své :) Parádní video, jako vždy!

I would add that there's something deeper in the frustration of Kraus than just that Czech national heroes are not known and revered elsewhere in the world. And that's the way the communist regime treated many Czech heroes from WW2 - best illustrated with Czech pilots (and bomber crews) who emigrated during World War 2 to England and USSR. Three years after the war ended the communists came to power and they immediately started persecuting anybody who might harbor any anti-communist thoughts and of course, RAF pilots who were free spirited enough to escape an occupied country and fight alongside Western forces and pilots from USSR who had firsthand experience with what the Soviet communist utopia looks like were prime targets. So the people who were bleeding for their country over foreign soil were now being jailed and forced to work in uranium mines by the same people they were ready to die for. I highly recommend the movie Tmavomodrý svět which follows a group of Czech RAF pilots all the way to the bitter end. I was born in 1990 but anytime I hear about the RAF pilots I am overcome with an ubearable sense of shame.

Those ugly boots are In fact army boots, so his father as a professional officer did not even have to buy them. All Michals outfit is basicly ugly army stuff brought by his father for "free"

Šebek's inability to kill a fish is even more funny/tragic when you realize he is a army major and is supposed to lead men in war and thus kill people which means he is the absolutely worst person for that job. In his core he is a gentle soul which is the complete opposite of what his neighbor Kraus thinks about him until he too realizes it towards the end of the movie. Kraus on the other hand behaves like a brute but it is rather obvious that he suffers from PTSD and deep frustration from communism in Czechoslovakia after WWII which is the exact opposite of what he fought for but he too is very fragile inside which also comes to light towards the end. When I was a kid, I thought this movie was a briliant comedy but now I think it is actually a tragedy very well masked as comedy. It has so many layers... also all actors and their performance were excellent.

A mimochodem, ta potreba Cechu byt recognized, uvedom si Jen, ze to je duvod, proc tu mas tolik followeru. Vsichni jsou happy, ze Ceska Republika zajima Americanku a hltaji, co nam o nas reknes a beda jestli to bude neco oskliveho, co nechceme slyset :)))

The film Pelíšky resonates with me because: 1) It's part of my childhood - every Christmas for the last many years it’s on TV, so it's a tradition. 2) There are many familiar situations that are viewed humorously (men who think they are important in the family and everyone, including their wives, thinks something else, but benevolently lets them have their feeling of self-importance, I think that's very common in many families across the world) 3) Adolescents who are introduced with understanding, humor and without stereotypes - we all once were teenagers and wanted to be seen this way. 4) Clothes, household equipment, the outdoor environment is all realistic and not at all glamorous (like in many retro movies), it’s all very relatable. 5) History shown raw, but not in such a way that it makes your heart break. 6) All characters, whether they are good, bad, positive, negative ... the movie depicts them in such a way that you understand them, you can laugh at them, you get some bond with them, you pity them. For me, the end of the film represents another point of the film. Michal is lying on the bed and wears a similar cool sweatshirt as Elien before. But he is not happy, part of his family emigrated to Britain (including his love interest Jindřiška) and very probably he won’t see them for several decades or even never again. He looks cool but is not happy actually. In the film, he envied Elien for being so cool (Michal‘s fantasy of ​​getting amazing shoes), but Elien wasn't happy either, because his parents were abroad. One should appreciate what one has here and now and not just look at what things look like, fantasize about other worlds, other lands, where grass definitely must be much greener. He should find confidence in what he has now. I think he realizes this paradox in the end.

The ending of the movie is very hard and it still brings chills. Fortunately, I didn't experience it, but I heard from my parents and grandparents about it. I grew up in small town Vrbové, where a dam was built in 1964 on the site of the original road and a new road was built by around at the top of the hill. The Soviets had outdated maps, and people removed the new traffic signs, so the convoy headed to the dam, they had to return several kilometers. Also there one officer shot a local young man on a motorcycle in the head, as an excuse he said he wanted to turn off the street lamp. So the end of the film is very bitter for many people.

I stopped laughing at Czechs long time ago. When I was young everything Czech made my peers laugh out loud. Today I am full of admiration for them, and that's only because I started to go there more often, learn Czech, watch Gavin, Bronia, you and a few other people connected with pre-war fortifications on youtube. I haven't watched Pelisky yet, but I'd love to - in the original! ;-)

That part about recognition: I think it's even worse for Slovaks, who are famously overshadowed even by Czechs (who are by words in this video themselves being not recognized). For example (when we are talking about cinema) Czechoslovak new wave has very famous Czech film directors - Miloš Forman, Ivan Passer, Věra Chytilova, Jiří Menzel etc. They are known world-wide, screening on various festival to this day, taught in film schools, wrote scholar papers about. But there is also a Slovak branch of this movement, represented by Štefan Uher, Peter Solan (he actually made one of the first films of Czechoslovak new wave), Dušan Hanák, Elo Havetta, Jozef Zachar etc. They are not so famous, less promoted, and in the world almost forgotten. Some Czechs know these film-makers, but really few saw their films. I was twice on a film festivals abroad, where they screened retrospective on Czechoslovak new wave, not a sight of these slovak counterparts. I didn't know about them until I was older, studied film and was specifically told about them by my friend. And I'm afraid this is not just in cinema, but in lot of other areas of culture and beyond (entrepreneurship, science, ...). It's really the big task of Slovaks to promote their stuff because they have so much of it and it's really a pity that world can't see it! (Because to be honest whole my life I thought that Slovaks have some folk dances, bryndza and halušky, nazi state '39 and dictator Mečiar, Tatras and cheese. but it's so much more and I was so surprised to find about it! But even being with them in one state in the past, I didn't know any of it!)

My ani tak nepotřebujeme aby si nás někdo všiml a uznal nás. Tak to není. Spíš chceme, aby nám dali už konečně všichni pokoj a alespoň nás neuráželi a nechovali se arogantně. Staletí se tady pereme o to, aby náš malý ale hrdý národ mohl být tím čím je a mohl mu patřit tento malý, ale nádherný kousek země. Jenže se nás neustále někdo snaží tahat do nějakých říší, tu germanizovat, tu rusifikovat ... 20 století, to je fakt kolotoč a taková koncentrovaná historie. Po staletích opět získaná svoboda vydržela pár let a opět s námi "mocnosti" naložili doslova podle a odporně - tak jak se to mezi slušnými lidmi nedělá. Pak hned komunisti, pak další závan svobody a už nás zase někdo obsadil ... Pak získáme svobodu a nějaký nevzdělaný primitiv z toho "Západu", ke kterému spousta z nás vzhlížela, ale o kterém už také nemáme iluze (mírně řečeno), se sem jezdí dívat a očekává nějaký socialistický skanzen. Nevzdělaná a arogantní lůza z tak zvaného Západu - to nás uráží. Vzdělaný člověk zná trochu historii, má nějaký přehled a když někam jede, zjistí si alespoň základní informace a chová se slušně, s respektem a má oči otevřené ... Ten film není komedia ve které je tragédie. Vůbec ne. Je to tragédie. Ovšem u nás platí: legrace musí být i kdyby na chleba nebylo! Proto je to plné naprosto perfektních vtipů. Ten film miluju. Děláme si ze všeho legraci. To například má německá přítelkyně nikdy nepochopila - ač jsme smysl pro humor měli podobný, tak tuto českou vlastnost nepochopila ani žena ze země, která je nám kulturně bližší než třeba i Slovensko a se kterou jsem si byli fakt blízcí.... Tedy ... Nechceme tolik uznání. Cheme už konečně klid. A přejeme si od ostatních alespoň tu elementární a základní slušnost že když sem jednou, tak si zjistí alespoň naprosto základní minimum informací. Takovým malým symbolem vlastně můžou být obchody se suvenýry v centru Prahy. Ruské čepice, ruské matrjošky, tedy něco co s námi absolutně nemá nic společného, naopak to symbolizuje něco, co právem nemáme rádi. A proč to tam je? Protože to turisté kupují ... Nechceme po nikom, aby věděl, že jedna z prvních myšlenek na sjednocení Evropy přišla od našeho krále Jiřího z Poděbrad a spoustu dalších věcí. To víme my. A tady uvnitř nás na to můžeme být hrdý. Ale ať tu proboha už nikdo nekupuje ruské beranice ... To bych si přál.

Kombinace tragédie a komedie souvisí s českou mentalitou brát i těžké životní situace s humorem a nadsázkou. V podobném stylu je i "Musíme si pomáhat", ale pro cizince je to lépe pochopitelné, protože je to z období WW2 (a má to nominaci na Oskara :-). Díky za videa, jsi SUPER!

Musím si přiznat, že pochopit ten film jako cizinec musí být docela těžké a smekám. A musím si přiznat, že už nyní je spousta mladých kteří v podstatě nechápou o čem to je. Je jasné, že se mi to kecá když jsem puberťák z té doby.

To shrnutí bylo dokonalé. Říkal jsem si sám pár týdnů zpátky, že máme jako národ určitý komplex a každá mezinárodní zmínka něčeho našeho nás dokáže řádně dojmout 😇

Hi Jen, interesting view by foreigner on Pelisky. As Slovak, I believe the reason why Czechs/Slovaks love this movie is that everybody can “feel” as any of the families in movie felt. We had to live in that communist depression. There is also another film “Ucitelka” which shows how difficult the life was.

It is no tragicomedy, it is just a comedy by our standards. :D

your overview touched me.. trully.. 10yrs in and you see us :) have a wonderful holidays Jen

I love all Jan’s videos I happens to be a Czech guy living in USA and I love Jan’s perspectives on Czech culture! Great or not as great! She deserves big respect that she takes time to research and even experience on her own skin the small intricate nuances of Czech culture! I admire Jan’s guts to move and live in different country and continue to learn the history and culture. I wish more people from other countries can spread the good word about Czech people and our culture as she does! In my opinion the entire review of PELISKI was spot on! Everyone in Czech can take and review the film PELISKI little differently based on their own experiences but in my opinion all what Jan mentioned was spot on! I saw the film for several times and I love all the humor, history and most importantly the freedom of thought that our country was deprived from for over 40 years! What I take from this film is the hunger for freedom!! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK JAN and go Czechs!!

This movie is also very loved for its catchphrases-it’s loaded with them. It immediately became a cult classic, perhaps even the most quoted Czech film. “Díky, táto!” :)

When I was 15 all I wanted for Christmas was an electric guitar. So my Dad bought me an electric... blanket! Cosy den indeed! Thank you for reviewing my favourite film.

I always cry at the end of this movie. I know what happened for the next 20 years and my heart is bleeding. It may seem medieval to the rest of the world, but to me it is our ancestors, traditions, country and I am proud that we have never lost our humor and ability to make fun of everything. We will laugh with pain in our hearts and help each other. ❤❤❤❤

Děkuji za recenzi, z mého pohledu to bylo hodně o lidské mentalitě..uvězněné v totalitě. Mně Pelíšky přišly oscarové, protože film odrážel velmi přesně atmisferu té doby, mistrnně vystihl psychologii postav a jejich vztahovou mentalitu se všemi kladnými a vlastnostmi ať to byli teenageři nebo dospělí. Celkově byly postavy neskutečně věrohodné, reálné. Film byl totálně uvěřitelný. Film byl navíc prosycen spoustou humorných situací, což Češi milují, herci byli vynikající, skvělí a k tomu perfektní výběr hudby. 😊

It's not about any "need to be appreciated" it's about nostalgia for time period in which our parents and grandparents lived.

Wow really made me emotional towards the end, this was an absolutely amazing breakdown from a psychological standpoint! Thank you very much for making this.

I am very impressed with your deep understanding of the Czech soul. It’s definitely not easy for a foreigner to gain this much insight into what makes us Czechs who we are.

Už se nemůžu dočkat, až bude tohle video postoupeno na Stream Seznamu... Jak za to Jennifer dostane od tamějších vidláků vynadáno ještě dřív, než si ji někdo poslechne 😁. A já moc děkuju za rozbor a doufám, že se recenzím a rozborům českých filmů bude Jen věnovat častěji.

Thank you! This review is greatly appreciated. One of my Czech friends just recommended this movie to me and after seeing your review I will be watching it soon. Well done!

I wouldn't be able to summarize this movie better. Even after seeing it at least 4 times in those past 20 years. Thank you!

I am a Czech living in America. This is the first video I watched on your channel. I was curious about what you have to say. You are SPOT ON. I didn’t even realize some of the things you point out until I left home and lived with people with different history and world understanding. Thanks for putting words to it and for putting it in a video. I am going to share this with my friends. So I can be seen and understood just a little better :) And yeah, I lost count of how many times I had to explain that Czechoslovakia is not Russia. Or a country anymore. :)

Im 18 and I love Pelíšky. And a lot of my friends do too. I always watch it on christmas eve and i remeber that i was texting with my friends literally writing all the words that was in Pelíšky in that moment in TV

Above all, Czechs love the humour and amazing acting presented in this movie. There are many legendary lines which can hardly be appreciated by foreigners. It's all about the delivery of these lines in Czech. Good review nevertheless.

Unbelievable how hard is to fully and deeply understand to what lies "between lines" in this movie for non-Czech people without direct experience with subject of the movie. Good job!

My interpretation of why it resonates is sort off the other way around than yours. We don't sympathise with the fathers. We all grew up with obnoxious dudes like the fathers. My mom told me hers was exactly like the choleric gnocchi one (and from what I remember of him, that's so true). My father's complete detachment from who I am completely reminds me of the boots scene, although I received a series of knives, compasses and tramping books instead in vain attempts to turn a bookworm into a boyscout :D The brotherly dynamics are also spot on. "Measuring a bear" and many others became a common saying in our family :D

To je tak. 1000 let cynismu. Vždy se vypneme k výkonu, vyškrabeme se na vrchol . A pak řekněme " to vlastně nemá cenu " od náboženských reforem 15.stol až po šití roušek.

Jean.Jediný dojem, který jste měla špatně, je ten že ty boty, které dostal hlavní hrdina k vánocům,rozhodně nemohl udělat žádný obyčejný švec přes ulici.V té době tady žádní drobní řemeslníci nebyli.Včechna výroba všech věcí byla v továrnách a do všech obchodů šly stejné věci.

What a great analysis. I will be showing your video to all my international friends for sure! :)

I soooo can’t wait to watch it again this Christmas. I absolutely love Pelíšky and can’t imagine Holidays without it. As a guy who grew up in a very communist-minded family with very different idea of the world in my head it feels so relatable ❤️

Part of the reason why Pelíšky is so popular is that it is well made and features great actors. Polívka, Stašová, Holubová, Zázvorková, Donutil, Dušek, Kodet, all in top form. Another reason - catchphrases. The film is full of catchphrases that have become an integral part of Czech culture. In pubs or at parties, they often toast the words "Marshal Malinovsky". When the face of a communist politician appears in the newspapers or on TV, we immediately shout "Proletarians of all countries, fuck you!" or "I'm giving the Bolshevik a year, two at the most!" Married couples or lovers often jokingly say "I've come with an offer of high quality sex." When things go wrong, we often say: "I wonder where the GDR comrades went wrong." Etc. I think those two reasons - the actors and the catchphrases - contribute most to the popularity of Pelíšky. Oh, and the boots, they're military boots (and socks), very poor quality, ordinary boots that everyone who joined the army got. They were made for a very long time. I did my basic military service in 1995 and we still got exactly those boots and socks.

As I've been told a few times, "Šťastné konce jsou velmi americké"

Thank you for your perspektive. You have showed me some layers of the film I haven't even noticed. I have perceived Pelíšky as a film about history, generation gap and relationships between family members and friends. But you are also right that the main aim of basically all characters is the same - to be acknowledged. As a person, as a citizen and everybody together as a sovereign nation!

Je neuvěřitelné, jak skvěle jste popsala Český národ ♥️🙌🙌🙌 možná díky tomu, že procházíte od jinud 🙂 jste skvělá, díky za Vaše videa🙏🥰

Hi Jen, thank you for this review. Although my opinion is often different from yours, I enjoy these videos. A little recommendation: try watching Píseň pro Rudolfa III part 8: Betlém. It's a Christmas story filmed in 1968, after the invasion. I think you would enjoy it. For a better understanding, I also recommend watching at least part 1: Křeslo as well

OMG Jen, you need to be our ambassador! You get us :)

Thank you for this video, I’ve never met a person out of the Czech Republic who would understand my country as you do. I live in Denmark now but I always slip back to Czech, Slovak or Polish groups of people, because I think we just naturally stick together 😊

You know what's funny? I've always thought of pelíšky as a "feel good" movie 😂 I don't know why.... Perhaps it has something to do with the Czech character being inherently melancholic as my foreign tutor said...🤔 Like we enjoy being sad. He said that after I translated the lullabies I sing to my children and they were all about death and loss 😅

Thank you for taking the time to understand this peculiar part of Czech cinematography ... and czech nature that gos with it :)

Czech mentality has been devastated twice. First time after Munich treaty and ongoing "Ptotektorat Boehmen und Maehren" and second times it was in 1968. And by my opinion, it never recovered again. In period of "First republic" (between ww 1 and ww 2) we were very proud to be Czechs.

Oh my I have seen it many times but Your review get me even more understanding of it and why it's so popular. Thank You :)

Perfektní... samotného by mě nenapadlo se na tento film takto dívat ale je to tak jak říkáš...

Holy........I watched this video when I was sick and idk why it almost made me cry. I really felt like that kid being finally understood. Super video ( Nemocnej furt jsem, ale mluvím v budoucím čase.)

Great review. Veselé Vánoce 🙌🏽.

Ahoj, rodiče jsou v DC jako diplomaté. Komančové si je pojistili, aby je nenapadlo emigrovat, takže byly ubytovny pro děti diplomatů.

Skvělý filmový rozbor. Určitě bych ocenil další!

Dávám palec naoru za krásný popis. Za pár let čekam znovu popis tohoto filmu se skutečným rozborem toho co se tam děje. Je jasný, že je pro amíka těžký tohle vidět, asi jako pro nás chápat souvislosti amerických filmů a historie v US. Po třetí verzi stejného popisu pak snad bude jasný, proč tenhle film máme tak rádi. Díky za Váš zájem! těšim se na další progres.

WOW! I grew up with this film, being born a few years after it came out but I never realized this. Thank you! Every Czechoslovak man is a teenager inside, anyone who says otherwise is lying. I can see these behavioural patterns accross all generations.

Good review/analysis of the Czechs' nature/feelings. Some of them stayed "hidden" from myself. Worth mentioning that the guy plays Czech Anthem (piano) when occupanion started... Good video as usually. Thank you.

Thank You. All the respect to You for such a analytical mentality disription of ours. My personal feeling is somewhere in combination of Yours and Ari Ben Joseph s opinion. Again, you've touched my "Czech heart " so much. Freedom in many ways of this meaning is the key. ..👍❤. Again, my biggest respect to You.

Jen, you nailed it about the Czechs in the summary. you are really getting to know them.

Marvelous critique 🙂 Thank you.

What a good, almost deep psychology-level, review of a movie that I would've otherwise probably never understood, even though you managed as a foreigner! 😀

Right on spot, made me shed a tear in the end. Se mi líbí ten způsob, jakým rozpitváváš různé aspekty "češství" z pohledu cizince, který se postupně snaží pochopit proč tady jsme takoví jací jsme. Příjde mi, že je to něco co často neděláme ani sami. Nebo když už se do sebereflexe pustíme, tak ne s takovým odstupem, což bývá ku škodě. Teď jsem to myslel obecně.. baví mě poslouchat myšlenkové pochody o české nátuře, nezatěžkané vyrůstáním v Evropě. A konkrétně tady v tom videu, jsi se (nebo jste se) u "gestalt Pelíšků" rozhodně trefila.

Brilliant as ever. Hit a chord here in the UK with my Czech wife. Sadly we cant now get to Prague this Xmas. So frustrating. But hope you all have a great time.

I think the movie stands out, because it has so many artistic references to real life. Obviously, many things are exagerated, like faces or forms in a cartoon. But I think it's very difficult for a foreigner to understand, exactly because of many many references. For most non native English speakers, even when they speak English very well, phrases like "Dixie land" or "Teddy bear" will never make any sense, since they lack the context.

.... ohhhh, so well said. Thank you. You have wonderful Christmas .

You are marvellous! Thank you for your precise and great review of the movie and Czech character. Merry Chrismas for You! I love you..

Also great choice of graphics, you are doing great work on youtube!

Your summarization of the movie is precise. Another side is feeling of nostalgia for those, who were even nearly touched by that era. I was born in 83 and I can almost physicaly feel the frustration from those boots. Also it is almost mandatory to understand some catchhprases from this movie, that we are using on daily basis :-)

Děkuji za tuto recenzi a za slova, která v ní zazněla.

Jenn, you have a very special talent to think as a Czech person. Great job! Try to watch Postřižiny. I was trying very hard to explain that movie to my British - Cambridge educated friends in London, but I did not succeed.

Nice one! The beauty of the film is that every generation relates to something else in it.

Thanks Jen. Maybe it was an oversight when setting up this video, but the overlay ads cover the captions. I turn mine off on my business videos. Always enjoy your insights. I long to visit my roots.

Omg, you made me cry at the end

Amazing and very accurate analysis in my opinion 👍 I really appreciate your understanding and wish I could grasp the American mentality in a similar way.

I think you did a great job explaining things, Jen. I was born in 1986 so I grew up pretty much unaware or not understanding until we learned about this in school. I have to admit though, I watched Pelíšky a lot of times at Christmas and while I love the jokes and the catchphrases, I find that I get really depressed by the end. Which is not something I want to be at Christmas, so I started to avoid it.

Hello Dream Prague! Hello dear Jen! Hello Czech and California spirits! Thanx for this cultural excort into slavian emotions. Champagner cheers everybody;)) And Merry Christmas!

Ahoj Jenny. S těmi botami k vánocům je to trošku jinak. Pointa je v tom, že to byly vojenské boty, i s ponožkami, též vojenskými. Jeho otec, jako důstojník tehdejší Československé armády dostával každoročně kupony, tzv body, na nákup vojenské výstroje. Byl to takový dar, nedar. Moc se mi líbí, když mluvíš o češích jak říkáš, my češi, ne oni češi. Díky za Tvá videa, jsi skvělá. Jana

You are the best Jen, great summary. I think I am going to watch Pelíšky right now again (for I can't even count how many times already and then I am going to watch it in TV again during Christmas 🤣). Marry Christmas to you Jen and I wish you to find true happiness and joy under the tree 🎄🎄 🎁🎁

one of my fav movies. we watch it here in LA pretty much every year around Xmas.... even other times. This year it is gonna be the last time here, any other time will be in our new apartment in Prague, Smichov.

Skvělý komentář, takhle do detailu jsem o tom filmu nepřemýšlela. Uvažovala jsem, na který film bych chtěla vědět názor od cizince napadla mě komedie Adéla ještě nevečeřela. Nedávno to dávali dost často a vždy se na to ráda znovu podívám, ikdyž ji znám nazpaměť. 😁

Jste vyborna a sympaticka. Diky za video a Krasne vanoce

Great review and interpretation. I'm so glad I have been able to watch this movie (10 times) in czech (I'm slovak).

What is the name of the font on the logo Pelíšky?

I guess the opener into Czech mentality can be inventor and one of the most famous Czech heroes Jara Cimrman and his legacy.

As a Czech I watched this movie many times, but never realized all those innuendos, well done!

Great review, Jen, thank you! While analyzing Czech films made for local consumption, do you see any similarity with American movies with the same cultural influence or angle, like Milos Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Hair and Ragtime, or The Unbearable Lightness of Being based on a novel by Milan Kundera? If you have seen any of these movies, of course. If not, you may consider adding them to your list.

5:13 - This was not a plastic kitchen glass. They were made out of tempered glass, which at the time was quite an interesting idea. The glass had some really interesting properties. On the one hand, it was much more durable, but once it broke, it tended to explode. There are also stories about this glassware spontanneously exploding with a loud "pop" due to tiny, tiny scratch or mark on the surface.

Hi , thank you so much for promoting Czech films to people :) Im czech :)

Ač některé věci v tom filmu vidím jinak, díky tobě jsem se dokázala na Pelíšky podívat z dalšího úhlu - díky!

Thanks for this video 🥰

Perfektní charakteristika mnoha lidí, vztahy mezi generacemi, ideologiemi, touha po lásce, budoucnosti, totální zklamání z Východu, ale i Západu, všem jsme byli ukradení - a nebylo to po prvé, normální lidská přání a touhy... K tomu ani minuta vaty, skvělí herci a pro nás úžasný humor, i černý. A velmi poučný k tomu - všichni tu znají rozdíly mezi knedlíky !!! Těch knedlíků tam bylo víc, třeba učitel ...

Hi Jen, great review! My tip for your cz movie list: Dnes naposled (1958) - still a bit hidden gem.

Great Jen! Thank you.

Super video. Jen, páčili sa mi aj tvoje videa, kde si rozoberala seriál Vyprávěj z tvojho pohľadu. Bolo to pre mňa veľmi zaujimavé. Aj len taká drobnosť, že v pozadí hrá hudba a pesnička povedzme od Kubišovej alebo Davida ako dokreslenie doby. Pri tvojom výklade som si uvedomila, že to vnímam podvedome. Pesničku poznám, viem v akej dobe vznikla, aký má kontext, či podtext. Nie je tam len tak. :-)

13:28 - 14:44 Damn, you just managed to sum up my 7-year long mental journey while living away from Czechia and Europe in under a minute and half :D

I love your reviews. Maybe you could do a Czech fairy tale movie next? Like Tři oříšky pro Popelku or Anděl páně. I would love to hear your thoughts on those.