The Collected Shorts of Jan Svankmajer, Vol. 1 - The Early Years

The Collected Shorts of Jan Svankmajer, Vol. 1 - The Early Years
by Jan Svankmajer

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DVD Reviews of The Collected Shorts of Jan Svankmajer, Vol. 1 - The Early Years

DVD Review: Indispensable but uneven -- and FAR from complete
Summary: 4 Stars

Svankmajer is at his best when focusing on nightmarish dream worlds: the malevolent apartment in "The Flat" or the subterranean horrors of "Down to the Cellar." When Svankmajer slips into political commentary, he becomes preachy and repetitive. "The Death of Stalinism in Bohemia" is already stale, and the dreadful "Et Cetera" is an exercise in aren't-we-clever monotony. Luckily, the lesser films don't detract from the remarkable experience of the greater ones.

One major drawback: although this pair of DVDs (sold separately) call themselves "The Collected Shorts," they are very far from complete. Favorites such as Jabberwocky and Darkness-Light-Darkness are nowhere to be found (though D-L-D is included on the DVD of "Alice"). Other works such as The Last Trick, Virile Games, The Ossuary, Leonardo's Diary, and J.S. Bach: Fantasia in G Minor have previously appeared on VHS in the US or UK, but are mysteriously absent from these DVDs. Several other missing shorts have never even had a VHS release: Historia naturae, The Garden, Don Juan, The Castle of Otranto, and Another Kind of Love. Given that these two DVDs are called "The Early Years" and "The Later Years," it does not appear that a third disc is planned -- though we can hope for "Vol. 3 - All the Other Films Not Previously Included."