Milada (2017) User Reviews

Brought an important part of history to life

[InnerWisdom1000 · 7/10 · 29 November 2021]

This was a well-scripted, decently acted docu-drama about a little known but incredibly courageous woman who held her own against the Nazis and then the Communists.

There were some issues on editing and timelines certainly, but I think we need to look at the bigger picture here rather than that which could have been done better production and direction-wise.

This was a woman of remarkable courage and bravery who had a set of core values to which we should all be inspired by, and emulate as best we can.

Having said that, despite integrity, honesty, decency, compassion and the highest of service being amongst the very best of values to which all of us should aspire ( as she did ), one questions as to why Milada did not have the wisdom to leave when she had the chances to do so. And which resulted in her evil execution and endangerment to her family. I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but I have the very strong instinct that Milada had the foresight that this might happen.

But this detracts in no way from a lady who was not just a true Czech hero, but one who is a hero to us all...

Biopic of important national hero

[indiapaige · 7/10 · 25 June 2018]

Czech history is a lesson in centuries old struggles for freedom, democracy, arts and humanity. Milada the woman was an embodiment of this struggle. That her life be brought to international attention seems fitting. The film has a difficult attempt to cohesively portray her life, seemingly needing a rewrite or three. Milada, the film attempts to follow the heroic feminine strengths of Milada Horáková from surviving Nazi concentration camp through Russia's occupation of Czech people again and again. Milada upheld the doctrine of humanitarian ideals in her socialwork against a changing backdrop of enforced political changes. Ultimately she fell victim to a monkey trial following Russian occupation and regime change, Milada continued to fight for basic human dignity of free thought, individual will and democracy. The films dedication in 2017 is to "2 billion worldwide strugglng under dictatorial governments". The timely release of this film perhaps left few materials for an inexperienced writer to paint a full living breathing portrait of this strong woman, important to international themes having been awarded the highest recognized honor in Czech society. I wish the screenplay had been written through feminine eyes, based on richer biographic material. Hopefully the film succeeds in showing the poison of dictatorial regimes seeking scapegoats for populist theater, despite lacking criminal indictments or volition.

Nice!

[pinkpab · 7/10 · 21 January 2019]

An interesting movie about the life of a Czech woman I had never heard about. Apart from the movie itself, with Milada's struggles against power, it's nice to see images of beautiful Prague during the movie. It would have been nice if it had been in Czech instead of English though. I applaud Netflix for including this movie!

Confusing plot, not well presented

[yvonne-30271 · 2/10 · 8 May 2018]

I watched this movie because my heritage is Czech and I wanted to learn more about Czech history during the early years of communism. I have family that lives on the street that had been renamed after 1990 to honor this woman, so I wanted to learn more about her. I did know how roughly what her fate was before I started watching the movie. I was greatly disappointed. First, I did not understand why everyone spoke with a thick accent. The people would have spoken Czech and they surely did not have thick accents in their native language. So the accents were inappropriate under the circumstances and annoying and distracting.The movie seemed to be pretty faithful to what I imagine was period imagery in then-Czechoslovakia. However, the soul of the film was missing. It showed what happened but never ever WHY. I had to go to Wikipedia to read about Milada Horakova to learn something about her, and not even that answered why she was arrested both by the Germans and then the communists, when she was a very left-wing person herself. The only thing I will remember is that this woman did not care about her husband or her child, she repeatedly placed them in danger and was selfish enough to dump her whole family on her younger sister. At least that's the impression I got from the movie. I had absolutely no idea what exactly Milada did or said to end up so persecuted. I also had no idea, based on watching the movie, why notable personages of the day would have cared about her fate and appealed on her behalf. So all in all, the movie was a huge disappointment - I really don't know any more about Milada Horakova after watching the movie than I did before.

Very Good

[sullivanjoseph-90702 · 8/10 · 11 March 2019]

After having lived in the Czech Republic from 91 -97 I believe this film portrayed Milada quite well. As an era film I couldn't help but compare it to what is happening in the US today. If you disagree with the leftist ideology you are branded as anti-American. The US needs heroes like Milada. I believe many films like this are suppressed. The film "Child 44" with Tom Hardy and Naomi Repace, another communist era film, only lasted 2 weeks in theaters and then it was impossible to find. This film is highly recommended.

Laughably poor camera work and editing, ok actors.

[GranHotellover · 1/10 · 19 April 2020]

The first 20 minutes you see: The picture accidentally bounce presumably from the camera man losing grip. The story also barely allows 3 minutes for each significant to be digested before it cuts to another important moment, really poor editing. After say 20 minutes I was laughing at how we had skipped through 2 decades of her life scene by scene. Never really resting on one place or time.

I think it's a shame because she seems like a really interesting woman but if you can't rest on one place or time for a few minutes, the story has no emotional impact and is hard to follow. I would love to see this footage worked into a documentary-drama, where after each scene a historian gives further details. Alternatively they could have used some clever exposition and decided what part of her story they wanted to focus on. Anything but this 'style' of production'. Never seen such bad editing in my life.

Amazing movie

[filipdrahovsky · 10/10 · 16 July 2021]

One of the best movies I have seen. Perfect actors performance. Very realistic and touching. Strong movie.

I was 9 years old when the communism finished in Czech and Slovakia. By seeing this movie I realized how lucky I was that it happened. Our whole family never involved in communist party so basically we could hardly effort anything. My aunty she could not study anything more than high school even she really wanted to do so. But as the father was not part of the communist group. She was not allowed. It was very strange times. Thanks God I was still very young when this night mare finished.

Does not do justice to the Czech heroine

[sdnwhitaker-20859 · 5 April 2020]

Confusing as to characters, where and when they are going .Good still photos of prominent women, but slow, overlong, and drags. Totally disappointing.

BOOORING

[johnharapa · 1/10 · 26 February 2021]

I have read Milada's biography - sadly this movie does not do her justice.

The production values are irrelevant, a badly told story is a badly told story.

Very disappointing.

Revolting, beautiful, dramatic and exciting...

[RosanaBotafogo · 9/10 · 14 January 2023]

Milada Horáková, politician and human rights activist, fights against everything and everyone to defend her beliefs in communist Czechoslovakia.

"Is every woman with an opinion hysterical to you, sir?" this line sums up the film well, and the thinking of the time, a phrase still commonly used for women with difficult temperaments... A magnificent biography about a democratic politician who fought against the Nazis, being arrested, and post-war hanged by the communist party of Czechoslovakia under trumped up accusations of conspiracy and treason, for not agreeing to be in opposition to the government, unfair, revolting, beautiful, dramatic and exciting...

Nice review of this case

[mirekrajsky · 9/10 · 28 June 2018]

I really wanted to see this moovie after I got know it was relased. Only thing which could never let me cold is simplified judgement of secret police interrogators, they often were not so font even to women. I'm find this film good 'cause of showing how was it in early czechoslovakia, not many people will remember this in few decades. I wasn´t finding if that letter were true but all the scenarios looked equvalent. For those who have no idea how was it looking here I write a short commentary bellow: U know after WWII Stalin pacted with west to let CSR lefty, so soviet agents made all they could to set this regime "unraw way" selected. As it was in movie, Milada was strong woman and politican, which did her work well and never wanted to come Austrian 3rd reich's oligarchy true again as well as communistic's regime with united farms, poverty and in need fear. I hate communistic headquaters of previous century, not because of their social meaning and lifestyle of dependence, but because of criminal and very violent dealing and threating of families of they don't do like they blow like u saw here.

Only thing is wrong today: In czech TV common news dialog one woman from communistic side told she doesn't think that admissions were realy forced.

This Film remembers Brazil, nowadays...

[telmorusso · 10/10 · 28 March 2021]

I loved this film, by the way... Almost nobody watched it... A right wing brazilian congresswoman told me to check it out! Wonderful but sad story.

It remembers me my country. What is happening now in Brazil is a disgrace... We have the best President of all time, in our country. The media is 99% Far Left. The Supreme Court is 100% Left wing. They don't let President Bolsonaro rule the country! Just because he is Conservative. We had corrupt socialists and communists for the last 35 years. The media is desperate to remove Bolsonaro, because his government stoped most of the billion dollars sponsorships from before... As well most of the funds for culture. That's why some actors make a daily international campaign against Bolsonaro. It's so unfair. The communists are everywhere. Only God can help us.

a story about a great lady

[v-56289 · 8/10 · 12 October 2022]

Milada is a dramatic story of an exceptional czech lady. A hero, who was so strong to resist not only the german nazi occupation during the second world war, but as she is very famous during the raise of communist power in Czechoslovakia!

I have watched the movie with a friend from abroad, who wants to visit Czech, so I was teaching them about the culture and important events. I am not giving full 10 stars, because sometimes the movie is not really clear for people who dont know much about communism. Yet they realised a lot. Even about they own country and the misdoings of their government they have not seen before.

The english dabbing was a bit disturbing and the characters had strong Czech accent. I don´t know whether is it good, or bad...