The Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1965)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Gathering up the last batch of Czech New Wave (CNW) titles from the Cold War era to view over April,I got an E-Mail from a DVD seller (who is a big fan of Czech cinema) telling me that he had recently tracked down a fascinating CNW War movie.With having recently picked up other Czech War titles,I decided that it would be a good time to meet the fifth horseman.The plot-WWII-Nazi Occupied Prague:Forbidden from working as a doctor by the Nazis,Jewish doctor Braun tries to survive by doing a desk job where he lists all the confiscated Jewish property.Going home to his flat,Braun finds an injured resistance fighter laying outside the apartment building.Taking the fighter into his flat under darkness,Braun discovers that the injured man is in desperate need of morphine to help heal his wounds.Knowing the risks that he is taking and suspecting that there is an informant in the building,Braun decides that he cant's let the horsemen of fear destroy his beliefs. View on the film:Largely filmed on location,co-writer/(along with Hana Belohradska/ Ota Koval & Ester Krumbachová) director Zbynek Brynych and cinematographer Jan Kalis showcase the effects that the Cold War was having on the country,with the grubby CNW black and white photography pulling every rotting building and burnt-out street on the screen,as solid pelts of rain hit Braun across the face.Finding beauty in the dirt, Brynych gradually sinks the block of flats into a pit of utter despair,where elegantly hit whip-pans spins an unrelenting atmosphere of fear over the title.Getting out to cinemas just before the soon to be occupying Soviet Union were to ban it,the writers display a remarkable quality in allegorically commenting on both the former Nazi Occupation,and the oncoming Soviet Union Occupation.Holding everyone up in the flats,the writers hit the Soviet Union with a merciless force,by making the flats a place where the occupying forces push the inhibitions of the flats/country into oppression,and the idea of "naming names" is thinly excused as keeping the country safe.Placing a voice of humanity in the centre of the film, Miroslav Machácek gives an incredible performance as Dr. Braun,thanks to Braun being given a humble appearance,which is delicately torn by Machácek,in desperation of stopping the fifth horseman in his tracks.

This is the most overlooked film I have seen and I have seen thousands. It doesn't appear in Maltin's book of 17,000 reviews. It is basically a day in the life of a Jewish doctor who is exempted from removal by Nazis because they can use his services. He risks his life helping the underground. In one gut wrenching scene he observes young women in a large shower room. For a moment you wonder if gas will come from the showerheads but it's water and there is a lovely lyrical voyeuristic few seconds before the camera cuts abruptly to the women being distributed to disrobing waiting SS officers. This is not an easy film to watch. It challenges the viewer's imagination with the "What would I do?" question throughout.

Really great Czech film of the 60´s. I think the best picture by the director Zbynek Brynych. Armin Braun (performed by Miroslav Machacek) is a doctor of Jewish origin. In spite of the fact he could be killed by the Nazis and the whole block-of-flat with him, he is performing an operation of an injured revolter. While the operation is finished he has to find morphine to give it to the revolter because of big pains he has after the medical help.We can see the excellent performance of Miroslav Machacek in the monologue part (by the way which lasts 3 minutes!!) in which he is deciding to help or not to help. I can recommend this movie to everyone who likes great acting in a good story.

I remember seeing this film when I was much younger and was so taken / moved by it that I've been trying to find it to own. The depiction of the main character's descent into near madness by the evil Nazi occupiers is probably one of the finest performances ever! This movie should DEFINITELY be taped and released as soon as possible.