Fireheart: The Legend
of Tadas Blinda (Tadas Blinda:
Pradzia)
(Lithuania, 110 min.)
Dir. Donatas Ulvydas, Writ. Jonas Banys
Starring: Mantas Jankavicius, Agnia Ditkovskite, Tatyana
Lyutaeva, Vidas Petkevicius
Film buffs who attended Monday night’s screening of Fireheart: The Legend of Tadas Blinda at
the 2012 European Union Film Festival were treated to a rare sight. The
Canadian Film Institute’s EUFF had its Lithuanian night on Monday, so
moviegoers got a chance to see a film from a country that has a relatively
small output here in North America. Fireheart:
The Legend of Tadas Blinda is reportedly both the most expensive and most
successful Lithuanian independent film ever produced, so the folks in
Lithuania’s cultural sector certainly made a bid of “go broke or go home” to the
audience at the CFI. Fireheart is
certainly an entertaining film, and quite a pleasant surprise with its high
production value. It has a good claim to be the best Lithuanian film I’ve ever
seen, but it’s worth noting that it’s also the only Lithuanian film I’ve ever
seen. However, I’m certainly intrigued to see future films that the country has
to offer.
What ensues is a rousing adventure. Fireheart features some impressive battle scenes and spirited,
crowd-pleasing action. The film might be overlong, a tad predictable, and
contain a few messy subplots, but it’s an entertaining quest for sure. Fireheart is most notable for the
impressive production value it brings to the EUFF, especially its striking cinematography,
which features numerous sweeping shots of the beautiful Lithuanian hillsides.
The attractive scenery and folk tale charm of Fireheart might appeal to fans of
adventures in Middle Earth, or other medieval actioners like The 13th Warrior or Game of Thrones. With its wide appeal
and exciting production, Fireheart: The
Legend of Tadas Blinda shows is another example of exciting films coming
out of Eastern Europe.
Rating: ★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
Fireheart: Tadas Blinda screened in Ottawa at the Canadian Film Institute’s European Union Film Festival.