Written and directed by Tomás Hodan, the true story of a ski race in 1913, in the Giant Mountain peaks and two pioneers of Czech skiing, Bohumil Hanc and Vaclav Vrbata participating. Told through the eyes of the story’s third hero, German athlete, Emerich Rath. Starring: Krystof Hádek, Oldrich Kaiser, Marek Adamczyk, Vladimír Pokorný and Judit Bárdos.

The funny thing about humanity is that the same things which can make us miraculous, can also be our downfall. A need to be better, stronger, faster or even the best, often results in pushing too hard and going over the edge, whether that be physically or mentally, and in the case of The Last Race it’s a little bit of both. It explores the danger of unbending determination, Bohumil Hanc (Krystof Hádek) was committed to skiing to the fullest extent and what unfolds is a great piece of storytelling.

It’s more akin to a classic style of cinema, the way that stories were told between the 1940s and 1980s. There’s a bigger simplicity to it, there aren’t things constantly being thrown at you, it moves smoothly and with a very wholesome feel. Tomás Hodan’s direction moves confidently through homely scenes and taverns to the beautiful expanse of the mountains. The Last Race delves into a lot of stunning scenery as the story goes forward.

Another big part of the satisfying quality to its visual is how well it captures the era. Firstly, with the costuming work which harks back to a much simpler time, with no flash or embellishment. Secondly, with the feel of the film, Hodan does a wonderful job of tapping into the period to give it an authentic atmosphere. It moves really well, it has a patience to it but never feels slow and does a good job of evolving the emotions as time goes on.

Hodan keeps that storytelling feel going strong with having The Last Race told through the eyes of the older version of Emerich Rath, played by Oldrich Kaiser. It works surprisingly well, the connection may not feel strong at first but he has so much to add, including enhancing the theme of prejudice. Kaiser is also unexpectedly sweet, there’s a hugely charming and free-spirited quality to his character which is balanced with a lot of internal conflict.

It’s a nice reflection for the cast as a whole, while you never learn a great deal about most of them, they all have very solid, friendly and competitive presences. As well as that it’s a cast with a good deal of chemistry, the camaraderie they create goes a long way to adding to the captivating quality of the story.

The Last Race is an engaging and wholesome piece of storytelling, it throws back to cinema of the past in its graceful simplicity. It’s a great yet sad story which is filled with a superb cast who all give understated, humble performances. The shot style has a great variety, it takes full advantage of the picturesque setting but never tries to make itself feel grand, it holds onto an intimacy.

Verdict: ✯✯✯✯ | 8/10

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