★★★★☆ Němec's Diamonds of the Night is a gruelling and incredibly tense look at two Jewish boys who escape a train bound for a concentration camp but are hunted by both German soldiers, and an elderly troop of home guards. Remaining largely wordless throughout, the film does explore the horrors of war and of Nazism, but is primarily concerned with humanity. This is seen through the boys attempts to survive, to preserve their dignity, and the reactions that they inspire in the people of the countryside through which they flee.
The strangest, and the best, of these three releases is Herz's The Cremator. A darkly bizarre trip through the late 1930's where an employee at a Crematorium, Kopfrkingl (Rudolf Hrusinsky), attempts to reconcile his Nazi allegiance and his Buddhist leanings. When it is suggested that his half-Jewish wife is holding back his advancement, Kopfrkingl begins a twisted descent into madness and murder. Full of unsettling atmosphere and a wonderfully creepy lead performance, this is an absorbing and terrifying ride.
Although Passer's Intimate Lighting feels like a bit of a misstep in the middle, this is a collection of intriguing films - especially those concerned with Czechoslovakia's time intertwined with Nazi Germany. With dozens of filmmakers attributed to this movement, this release will at the very least pique people's interest and bring these atmospheric offerings to wider attention.
Ben Nicholson
