Killing the Devil, dir. by Ester Krumbachová

“Killing the Devil”/ dir. Ester Krumbachová / Czechoslovak comedy film / 1970 / 112 min.

Ester Krumbachová is recognized by industry peers and historians as one of the key figures in Czechoslovak cinema of the 1970s. As a costume designer and screenwriter, she contributed to many significant works from the golden age of Czechoslovak film. She only began directing towards the end of the decade. “The Murder of Engineer Certa” epitomizes her artistic vision. The acting by Jiřina Bohdalová and Vladimír Menšík is based on striking stylization. The archetypal gender conflict explored by the film evokes comparisons with the renowned works of Věra Chytilová and Jan Němec. The grotesque and surreal atmosphere infuses the condensed story to such an extent that its ideological message takes a back seat to an all-encompassing game: with means of expression, family values, and self-perception.