Mandragora *** (1997, Miroslav Čáslavka, David Švec) – Classic Movie Review 13,383

Polish writer/ director Wiktor Grodecki’s shocking 1997 drama film Mandragora follows the story of gay teenage runaway Marek, played by Miroslav Caslavka, thrown out of his repressive small town home by his distanced father, and left to try to survive on the streets of Prague, where he becomes a victim of the drug and sex scene. Co-writer David Švec plays his new found friend, fellow hustler David.

Lurid, brutal, disturbing Czech epic Mandragora lacks subtlety and nuance, but has a lot of power, honesty and impact. Painfully frank and realistic, it is hard to watch, a depressing downer, and should be approached with great caution. Miroslav Caslavka gives a brave, remarkable performance as Marek. The score and photography are dreary and dark, putting viewers in the perfectly gloomy mood.

It is written by Wiktor Grodecki and David Švec.

The film is the third in Grodecki’s trilogy of films about male prostitution, the other two being the documentaries Not Angels But Angels (1994) and Body Without Soul (1996).

The cast

The cast are Miroslav Čáslavka as Marek, David Švec as David, Pavel Skřípal as Honza, Kostas Zerdolaglu as Krysa, Miroslav Breu as Libor, Jiří Kodeš as Father, Karel Polišenský as Sascha, Richard Toth as George, Jiří Pachman as Pan Franta, Pavel Kočí as Rudy, and Jitka Smutná as Krysa’s Wife.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,383

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