Most

Director : Bobby Garabedian

Writer : William Zabka

Stars : Vladimir Javorsky, Linda Rybova, Lada Ondrej

Rating : 4 Stars



Compelling is the word that best describes the Czech film Most (The Bridge in English), which is a tale about a father and his beloved son. The father is a drawbridge operator while the son is an eight-year-old schoolboy. A mother figure is absent making the bond between the two main characters stronger.

The film starts with the introduction of the main protagonists in a train station: the father (Vladimir Javorsky), and son (Lada Ondrej), and a young woman (Linda Rybova). The woman will be eventually revealed as a drug abuser. Other characters include the sea of faces boarding the train – a soldier, a boisterous group of young men and women, an American guy with his girlfriend, among others.

As the film progresses the son convinces his father to take him to his workplace despite the cold weather. There at work an accident occurs and a far more tragic one results. The father has to make a painful choice. Who will he choose? Will he choose his child’s life over a train full of strangers, including that of the drug abuser? The audience is with the father as he makes the decision.

It is a heart-wrenching film, one that would require a box of tissues from the faint of hearts. Most is undoubtedly a tearjerker, but director Bobby Garabedian is able to veer the narrative from over sentimentality as the film does not dawdle – it only runs for 33 minutes. However, there is no abruptness either both in the building of characters and in the relating of plot. In fact, most the scenes are shot in slow motion resulting to dreamlike sequences. Thumbs-up to producer/screenwriter William Zabka for giving the audience a short but meaningful viewing experience.

Most relates a strong moral message thus it is now widely used as an evangelical tool by many Christian groups. One critic described Most as a film with “unabashed soulfulness” with an unmistakable parallel to one beloved son sacrificed to save mankind. But it does not matter if you’re religious or not to appreciate this Academy Award nominee because it is about human experience, particularly at life’s crossroad where you have to make a difficult choice.

To compensate for the language barrier it is subtitled, and what the language fails to accomplish great acting is there to effectively fill in the gap. The actors’ eyes and demeanor convey every intense emotion – fear, sorrow, joy, enlightenment. Definitely, you will not see this movie for entertainment value; you will see it for its message and cinematic excellence.