The Cremator (1969)

CZECHOSLOVAK CLASSICS: Classics from the unrivalled history of Czechoslovak cinema. Screening throughout September and October at De Uitkijk.

Set in Prague in the 1930s, we follow Kopfringl, the manager of a crematorium which he calls ‘The Temple of Death’. He takes a mystical view of his work; fascinated by Tibetan Buddhism, he sees death – and, more specifically, cremation – as the sublime liberation from earthly suffering. However, when he falls under the spell of fascism, his fascination with death takes on a macabre form. The expressionist film style, with its black-and-white imagery, fragmented close-ups and fish-eye lenses, masterfully reflects the distortion of Kopfringl’s reality and his descent into madness, murder and Nazi collaboration.  

This controversial, absurd and impressive masterpiece by Juraj Herz, a pioneer of the Czechoslovak New Wave, treads the fine line between horror and political satire and explores the horrors of totalitarianism and the dark side of human nature. Shortly after its release in 1969, THE CREMATOR was banned by the Communist government, despite receiving critical acclaim. It was not until after the fall of the Berlin Wall that the film returned to the big screen.