Is The Art of Dissent Worth Watching? Honest Movie Review & Audience Verdict (2021)

📖 The Core Premise

The Art of Dissent stands as a 2021 entry that attempts to leave its mark on the Documentary landscape. At its heart, the film explores complex themes wrapped in a compelling storyline. As the plot unfolds, we see characters navigating a world where stakes are high. ""The Art of Dissent" celebrates the resilience and power of artistic engagement in Czechoslovakia before and after the 1968 Soviet-led invasion. The documentary's main protagonists - Václav Havel, banned singer Marta Kubisová, and the underground rock group the Plastic People of the Universe (PPU) - became the most recognizable dissidents during the 1970-80s. Havel bridged the disparate clusters of individuals and fused the literary, musical, political, and philosophical nonviolent elements into a hybrid network that eventually toppled the totalitarian regime in 1989."

🎬 Performance & Direction

A movie's success often hinges on its execution. Timothy Garton Ash attempts to elevate the material, but the direction leaves them with little to work with. The direction aims to balance pacing with character development, a hallmark of good Documentary. While there are moments of brilliance, the pacing occasionally dips.

🤔 Why You Should Watch (or Skip)

Is The Art of Dissent worth your time? If you appreciate Documentary films that take risks, this is likely a decent one-time watch. However, if you are looking for a flawless masterpiece, you might find some plot points predictable.

🏆 Final Verdict

Ultimately, The Art of Dissent misses the mark on several fronts. With a runtime of 105 minutes, it asks for a significant time investment, but for the right audience, it pays off.

Our recommendation: Skip It.