Valerie, a Czechoslovakian teenager living with her grandmother, is blossoming into womanhood, but that transformation proves secondary to the effects she experiences when she puts on a pair of magic earrings. Now seeing the world around her in a different light, Valerie must endure her sexual awakening while attempting to discern reality from fantasy as she encounters lecherous priest Gracian, a vampire-like stranger and otherworldly carnival folk.
If you aren't too anxious about decoding what all this means, you're likely to be entranced.
– Jonathan Rosenbaum,
Chicago Reader,
22 May 2004
fresh:
A born director like Mr. Jires can be forgiven a lopsided beauty that still commands full attention.
– Howard Thompson,
New York Times,
9 May 2005
fresh:
There is no clearly-defined story; the film's logic is that of the subconscious, its images those of the Gothic fairytale and the psychiatrist's couch, and its overall effect is stunning.