User Reviews

The Slovakian Count Sándor rules his subjects mercilessly: whipping his servants after suffering their ridiculous excuses (their wife is dead) for being unable to work their lands every day of the year and not hesitating to demand that they defray the costs of his debts (in addition to the tithe) contracted through his life of luxury and magnificence. Of course, as everyone is aware, these are nothing more than the ordinary (and just) folkways practiced by the aristocracy toward the middle classes, whether in Slovakia or in Germany.

According to these Slovak farmers, this represented an unjust situation of oppression and poverty. For that reason it didn't take long to arise among them a hero, Janosík, a friar retrained as a bandit (it seems that the Church it is not the same as it used to be some time ago) that becomes the farmers' symbol of resistance and fight against the feudal conditions that have put them under Count Sándor.

The film "Janosík" has the distinction of being the first Slovak feature film in history. It was produced by a team American Slovak immigrants and directed by Jaroslav Siakel.

This German Count doesn't know if it is due to the probable idealization of an emigrant far away from his homeland for many years, but the film is very much exaggerated and even a pain.

This German count will try to distance us from the exaggerated situations depicted in the film about how we the aristocrats treated our servants by talking about other subjects that are out of tune in the film. For example, the bucolic village surroundings and plenty of farmers that wear costumes newly-made from the tailor's shop, not to mention their big wigs, a piece of nonsense that only the Count Sándor, naturally, is able to wear with dignity because we the aristocrats have years of advantage in stylish matters over the middle classes.

The performances of the actors are very histrionic, for that reason the audience pays no attention to the adventures and misfortunes of Janosík and his band nor to their final fate (there were two different versions filmed, one for the American audience and one for the Slovaks, thus Janosík's fate depends on which version of the film one is watching). A pure kitsch film, so having that in mind a not very demanding spectator can even enjoy the film.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave, because this German Count must attend an urgent meeting for aristocrats offended by the situations depicted by Herr Siakel in his film.