Overview
A gripping tale of survival and vengeance set against the backdrop of medieval turmoil.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Brutal
- grim
- surreal
- harrowing
- serious film study
- historical cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a universally acclaimed, visually inventive landmark of Czech cinema and one of the greatest Czech films ever made.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The plot centers on the shift from paganism to Christianity in medieval Bohemia, with religious Lazar caught amid political violence.
The account is explicitly stripped-down and grimy, emphasizing robbery, captivity, fortresses, and brutal survival.
Flashbacks and non-linear, multi-perspective storytelling interweave the rival families, hostage crisis, and royal response.
The film is black and white and relies on severe, large-scale imagery rather than conventional historical spectacle.
Films like Marketa Lazarová, and why
The Seventh Seal
brutal medieval atmosphere, spiritual conflict, and visually radical historical storytelling
Andrei Rublev
grim medieval violence, religious transformation, and austere black-and-white imagery
The Name of the Rose
raw historical drama, pagan-Christian tensions, and expressionistic visual intensity
The Color of Pomegranates
poetic national cinema, fractured chronology, and stark depictions of social upheaval
Movie Details
- Director
- František Vláčil
- Release Date
- 1967-11-24
- Runtime
- 166 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (166)
Cast
- František Velecký
- Magda Vášáryová
- Ivan Palúch
- Pavla Polášková
- Vlastimil Harapes
- Michal Kožuch
- Josef Kemr
- Naďa Hejná
- Jaroslav Moučka
- Zdeněk Kutil
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Marketa Lazarová about?
- A savage, dreamlike medieval chronicle follows rival Bohemian clans through abduction, vengeance, and the violent arrival of Christian authority.
- What is Marketa Lazarová like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Marketa Lazarová as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as dense.
- Is Marketa Lazarová violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Marketa Lazarová as brutal.
- What did critics think of Marketa Lazarová?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a universally acclaimed, visually inventive landmark of Czech cinema and one of the greatest Czech films ever made.
- Which films are like Marketa Lazarová?
- Films with a similar feel include The Seventh Seal, Andrei Rublev, The Name of the Rose, and The Color of Pomegranates.
- How long is Marketa Lazarová?
- Marketa Lazarová runs 166 minutes.
- Where can I watch Marketa Lazarová?
- In United States, Marketa Lazarová streams on Criterion Channel.
