Cinema
The Devil's Servants
Vella kalpi
Aleksandrs Leimanis · 1970
Synopsis
At the beginning of the seventeenth century, during the war between Poland and Sweden, three young mercenaries from Courland fight to prevent the free city of Riga from surrendering entirely to the Swedish army. They face the indecision of the council, the rivalry between Catholic and Lutheran leaders and the calculations of the nobles of the region, and along the way they fall in love and escape death.
Context
Photographed by Mārtiņš Kleins to music by Raimonds Pauls, the film is written by Aleksandrs Leimanis and Jānis Anerauds, produced and distributed by Rīgas kinostudija, and runs ninety minutes. Lolita Cauka, Haralds Ritenbergs, Artūrs Ēķis, Eduards Pāvuls and Olga Dreģe play the main roles. The Tallinn festival still presents it under the title The Devil's Servants, with Estonian subtitles.
Who it is for
A spirited adventure comedy, which can be followed without knowing anything about the history of Riga.
Prizes and reception
First part of a swashbuckling diptych, whose second part was released two years later, in 1972.