Oil Lamps (Blu-ray) Second Run

From the director of The Cremator and Morgiana, Juraj Herz’s distinctive, decadent film is adapted from the renowned novel by Jaroslav Havlicek. Set at the turn of the 19th-century in the final years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, this atmospheric period drama is a bitter ‘romance’ which centres on the tragic marriage between two cousins. Stepa (the wonderful Iva Janzurova), is a vivacious, modern-minded, wealthy young woman, but who is desperately seeking love and happiness; Pavel (Petr Cepek), is an arrogant, self-serving retired army officer weighed down by debt, cynicism, and syphilis. Herz’s lavish film evokes a pungent atmosphere of decay and features superb performances by its two leads, gorgeous costume and set design, and stunning cinematography by Dodo Simoncic. An iconic classic of Czech cinema.