Oil Lamps Blu-ray

'Oil Lamps' Director: Juraj Herz (1971) Second Run Blu-ray | 4K restoration | Region Free | Czech w/ English subtitles

A bitter psycho-sexual romance steeped in fin-de-siecle decadence, Oil Lamps centres on the tragic marriage between two cousins. Štěpa is a vivacious, modern-minded, wealthy young woman, who is desperately seeking love and happiness. She is hopelessly mismatched with Pavel, a dashing but arrogant and self-serving retired army officer weighed down by debt, cynicism, and syphilis.

Featuring superb performances by its two leads, elegant costume and set design, stunning cinematography and an evocative score by Luboš Fišer, Herz’s lavish film headily evokes a pungent atmosphere of decay.

Special features include:
- 20-page booklet with new writing on the film by author and Czech cinema expert Peter Hames
- Projection Booth commentary with film historians Mike White, Kat Ellinger and Jonathan Owen
- Conversation on a Train (Rozhovor ve vlaku, 1947): An early short Czech public information film on the perils of alcohol and STDs.