

You might also like
Where to watch
Show all servicesI Served the King of England Photos
Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Jan Díte, young
Jan Díte, old
Liza
Skrivanek

Walden
Professor
Critic Reviews for I Served the King of England
All Critics (88) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (70) | Rotten (18)
-
Quote not available.
November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… -
Quote not available.
November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… -
Quote not available.
November 16, 2011 | Rating: 4/5 -
Quote not available.
September 7, 2011 | Rating: A- | Full Review… -
Quote not available.
May 13, 2009 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
The world it depicts is too dangerous and too lovely to classify.
November 21, 2008 | Rating: A | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for I Served the King of England
-
Dec 06, 2012An short old man wryly recalls his days of short wily youth when he dreamed of making the big time come hell or high water, only there was that damn war standing in his way ... World War ll, dammit. Set mainly in Prague, the Paris of Eastern Europe, this comic tale of accidentally acquiring wisdom while actually trying to acquire wealth doesn't take itself too seriously and there's plenty of beauty to while that wisdom acquisition time away. Loved it, but its not for the kiddies though.Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
-
Jul 25, 2010Starts off as an amusingly low-key comedy which surprisingly turns into a history lesson about the German annexation of Czechoslovakia and the effect on its citizens during WW II. Some fine acting and injected with period flavor, the film follows the life of a poor waiter who dreams of owning his own hotel. In the opening shot, we see him in his 60's and getting released from prison after serving 14 years and 7 months of a 15 year sentence (getting out early for good behavior, ha) and find out how he got there. Interesting and with a share of charming & poignant moments sprinkled with substantial and unexpected nudity, all photographed with an artistic lens. This film won't amaze you but ought to hold your interest to the duration.Doctor S Super Reviewer
-
Feb 24, 2010Stupendous satire of the bourgeois class with moments of hilarious lunacy and a decent number of sequences of lascivious delicacies. Forty years separate this modern, shining gem from Menzel's masterpiece: the definer of the Czech New Wave. This time, the roots of the modern middle class are explored, wonderfully juxtaposing the visual style of classic cinema that evokes that very characteristic, nostalgic sensation in avid film followers. Sometimes Buñuelesque, sometimes Chaplinesque, the "King of England" is still sitting in his throne, watching all over us while we (conscientiously?) are drowned each time more in banal ambitions, including the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" concept... 84/100Edgar C Super Reviewer
-
Dec 02, 2009"I Served the King of England" starts sometime in the 1960's with Jan Dite(Oldrich Kaiser), "a small man from a small town," getting amnesty from his 15 year jail sentence, after serving 14 years and 9 months. To add to his predicament, he is forced to move to the frontier where he encounters Marcela(Zuzana Fialova) which rekindles memories of himself as a young man(Ivan Barnev) who began his career in food service as a hot dog vendor at the train station in Prague before moving on to become a waiter at a bar. It is there that Jaruska(Petra Hrebickova), the new woman at the local bordello, walks in soaking wet one day. "I Served the King of England" is a darkly comic, gorgeously rendered, and sensual movie that starts Jan's story innocently enough with a silent movie homage. In fact, he does remind me of a Chaplinesque hero who suffers under the weight of the world while trying to make it a better place through a smile. However, Jan has more important things on his mind than just service, dreaming of becoming a millionaire and opening his own elite hotel. That along with his love of women(I had not noticed they are all taller than him until it is pointed out) drives him in his life, as he also has a naughty habit of dropping coins to tempt the rich.(This reminds me of Abbie Hoffman and Co. dropping money at the New York Stock Exchange. This event says everything you need to know about capitalism.) At the same time, Jan loses track of important events happening around him which leads to both his physical and moral downfall.Walter M Super Reviewer
I Served the King of England Quotes
Jan DÃte Old: | A person becomes most human, ften against his own will.. when he begins to founder, when he is derailed or deprived of order. |
Jan DÃte Old: | I look at myself and am sickened by what I see. |
Marcela: | We're here to find trees with melodies in them. Music. |
Walden: | You have to know how to throw away your change so that it comes back to you as banknotes. |
Movie & TV guides
About Tomatometer
The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review
About Audience Score
The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher.
Verified