Murdering Mr Devil

Jiřina Bohdalová, Vladimír Mensík

Kate (Jiřina Bohdalová) is putting the finishing touches to a sumptuous dinner for her beau, Mr Devil. Yet he is a dyspeptic sort, apt to run away when Kate expresses any of her own needs and always forcing her to make ever grander meals to fulfil his culinary whims. As the parable plays out, we see Kate’s skill and creativity, but also her patience wear thin, as she designs a final meal that’ll leave him fit to burst…

Director Ester Krumbachová is a Zelig-like polymath figure amongst the Czech New Wave, having co-written, costume designed or provided art design for some of the most significant films from the period, including Daisies (1966), Diamonds of the Night (1966, directed by her husband Jan Němec) and Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970). It seems hard to imagine there are more gems to be discovered from the Czech New Wave given the overwhelming quality of this fecund period in film history. Yet Krumbachová’s film will undoubtedly take its place alongside Daisies as one of the greats of the time. Ironically, it was reviled by many of her contemporaries on release, which may have contributed to its relative obscurity in the years since. Starring the charismatic Jiřina Bohdalová (The Ear, When the Cat Comes), Murdering Mr Devil is not only one of the best films ever made about food, it’s also an exquisitely tasty feminist treat that you may just find yourself choking on.