Review of Das Feuerzeug

The movie is not bad, or maybe a little more than that. It hasn't the freshness and the richness in ideas and fantasy – and the absence of political contents - of the Czech fairy tales, but it flows pleasantly towards the end. It has bright colors and good actors. Its main problem is another. Like most East-German and Russian fairy tales movies, it can't refrain from political propaganda. In other cases it is overwhelming; here it's not too strong, though it can be seen without difficulty. The people from the higher classes are, without exception, lazy, false, two-faced, disdainful. The king and the queen are the most disagreeable. The "people", instead, is likable, honest, united, sympathetic.... So it is a very good thing that "the people" has demolished the upper classes and brought the "justice" of communism. This is the idea. The final revolt in the square of the village is a clear hint to the communist revolution. I have no doubt that political propaganda spoils the magic of a fairy tale. Apart from this, the movie is not a bad entertainment. Simple but good special effects.