Summary
Director František Vláčil concluded his loose historical trilogy with a dramatically tight film that instead of spectacular narrative scenes depicts the internal conflicts of the characters. The protagonists of the narrative are two Crusaders – Armin von Heide and his Czech protégé Ondřej. The young nobleman, entrusted to the order by his father as a child,escapes from the Crusader castle where he grew up in asceticism and prayer. However, the religious zealot Armin pursues his companion to his native Vlkov and thwarts his attempts at a normal, happy life alongside the beautiful Lenora. This timeless story of the clash of fanaticism and personal freedom excels with a black-and-white camera work by František Uldrich, predominantly the vocal compositions by Zdeněk Liška, and acting performances by Jan Kačer with Petr Čepek in the leading roles.
