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Released by: Vanguard Films
Released on: 6/29/2010
Director: Constantin Werner
Cast: Ivo Novak, Vera Filatova, Veronika Bellova, Winter Ave Zoli
Year: 2009
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The Movie:
Directed by the same man who gave us Dead Leaves (which was released on DVD from Cult Epics a few years ago), Pagan Queen is an oddball mix of fantasy, arthouse and drama shot carefully with an eye for artful compositions and style. Set in the medieval times in Eastern Europe, the movie follows a woman named Libuse, who is in charge of a tribe and who may or may not have mystical powers. She's also got lesbian tendencies and a few loyal followers in the form of a warrior named Vlasta (Lea Mornar), and her two younger sisters, Teta (Vera Filatova) and Kazi (Veronika Bellova).
The group leads a good, peaceful life as farmers until an invading force uproots them and moves in on their territory. Libuse winds up marrying Premysl (Casba Lucas) hoping that with new power he'll be able to help them out but it doesn't quite work out that way. This more or less leaves it up to Libuse and her loyal group to defend their land against those who would take it from them.
Based on a series of Czech folk tales about how the city of Prague came to be, Pagan Queen will probably mean a lot more to those with an attachment to Czechoslovakia or Eastern Europe in general than it will to the average viewer. Add to that a very languid pace and it's likely that those not predisposed to appreciate such material might quickly lose interest. That said, Pagan Queen has enough going for it that fantasy buffs will want to check it out. Not only is the picture beautifully photographed but it makes use of some great wardrobe and costume work as well. The performances are all decent enough and if it's maybe not Oscar caliber material we see from the cast, it's certainly better than most independent features manage to provide, though the one weak link in this regard is Casba Lucas, who just doesn't bring any believability to the male lead part. There's also a fairly blistering sexual side to the film, most of which revolves around Libuse herself, and which adds an air of interest to the proceedings.
The locations that Werner managed to secure for his film are just as important as any other element in the film and the cinematography sets out and succeeds in milking everything that it can from them - and rightly so, as the picture really does wind up looking quite spectacular at times. Wholly appropriate in terms of appearance, tone and atmosphere, the Eastern European locales on which the film was shot help ground the film in spite of the more fantastic and supernatural elements that have been worked into the story.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Pagan Queen looks pretty good in the 1.78.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that it's been given on this DVD release. Colors are strong and natural looking and detail is fine. There aren't any problems with compression artifacts or pesky edge enhancement nor are there any issues with print damage.
The English language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track is also problem free, with well balanced levels and clean, clear dialogue. Effects are nice and punchy when they need to be and the score accents the film quite effectively.
The most substantial extra on the disc is a commentary track from writer/director Constantin Werner who speaks in his native Czech language and is translated into English on the fly by a female translator. This makes for a rather odd listening experience, but once you get past that the commentary is a pretty good one which covers the history behind this picture, the real life people brought to life on the screen, casting, wardrobe, cinematography and all the other standards you'd expect.
Aside from that, there's a brief intro to the movie, also from Werner and his translator, a trailer for the feature, trailers for a few other Vanguard releases, menus and chapter stops.
The Final Word:
An interesting blend of drama, romance and historical fantasy, Pagan Queen is a nicely made picture with some beautiful camera work and strong performances. It plays around with some interesting themes quite effectively and makes for a decidedly different type of film all together. Vanguard's DVD release is a good one, even if the Czech to English translation on the commentary is odd.