Marketa Lazarová (1967)

In the harsh landscape of medieval Central Europe, a fierce struggle between old and new beliefs unfolds. Mikolás and his brother Adam, sons of the tyrannical Kozlík, plunder travelers to please their ruthless father. During a fateful encounter, they take hostage a young German lad, whose father daringly escapes to relay news of the atrocity to the King. Anticipating the King's fury, Kozlík dispatches Mikolás on a desperate mission to convince his neighbor, the devout Lazar, to unite with him in a war of survival. When persuasion fails, a vengeful Mikolás kidnaps Lazar's innocent daughter, Marketa. Poised on the brink of a life dedicated to God, she becomes a pawn in a game of power and revenge, her purity desecrated in an act of savage violation. As news of Marketa's abduction reaches the King, an army is dispatched, forcing a reluctant Lazar to join forces against the formidable Kozlík. Amid this violent and pitiless world, the transition from paganism to Christianity is starkly mirrored in the lives of these characters. "Marketa Lazarová" unflinchingly portrays a grim epoch where faith and brutality intertwine, where every character is forced to navigate their path within the chilling dichotomy of sacred vows and earthly desire, of divine promises and mortal revenge. This is a relentlessly raw and surreal tale of a time when the echoes of old gods began to fade, and the harsh hymns of a new religion took hold.

Marketa Lazarová is a drama movie featuring František Velecký.

Marketa Lazarová is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.

It is also possible to buy Marketa Lazarová on Amazon Video and Apple TV.