END OF AUGUST AT THE HOTEL OZONE (1967)
(a.k.a. KONEC SRPNA V HOTELU OZON)
Article #931 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 10-2-2003
Posting Date: 2-29-2004
Directed by Jan Schmidt
Featuring Jitka Horejsi, Ondrej Jaricheck, Vanda Kalinovat

A band of woman wander through the countryside after the apocalypse searching for food.

Yes, it’s another Czech movie without subtitles, but once you are aware of the above plot description, you actually have enough knowledge to make a go at enjoying this movie. Yes, all the dialogue is in Czech, but since the movie really relies more on visuals to tell its story, you’ll still find plenty to hold your interest. It’s fairly brutal in some ways; animals certainly don’t fare well here, as several are killed during the length of the film (and unless the special effects are very convincing, I don’t think the deaths were faked). It’s also very sad, especially at the end, in which the existence of a gramaphone and a recording of “Roll Out the Barrel” in Czech play a decisive role in the fate of one of the characters. Perhaps the saddest thing at the end of the movie is the realization that all our links with civilization (outside of a few pieces of paraphernalia) as we know it have been severed, and as such it may well be one of the bleakest after-the-apocalypse movies I’ve seen.