I Served the King of England

The book, I Served the King of England, is a pivotal work of modern Czech literature, penned by Bohumil Hrabal while at the height of his literary powers. The film adaptation of this multi-faceted novel recounts the fate of one Czech waiter, Jan Dítě, from bell-hop to millionaire via prison under the communists and exile abroad.
The film is played out along two time lines. The first is a retrospective of Dítě’s youth; the second shows the main character as an aging man in the vacated Sudetenland. As a young man, we see Dítě as he comes of age in pre-war Czechoslovakia, nurtures a love of women and money, and innocently collaborates with the Nazi regime. The second story takes place in the 1960s, when the older Dítě is in search of peace. It is then that he meets an impulsive young girl, who helps him recall the erotic experiences of his youth.

This excerpt captures both time lines. On the one hand we see Dítě reminiscing with other expatriates abroad. On the other, we see the devoted respect he pays to the head waiter at the restaurant at the Hotel Paříž, who had, in his day, served the king of England.

This latest film by Oscar-winning director Jiří Menzel was released in 2006. It followed a ten-year hiatus by the legendary filmmaker. I Served the King of England won four Czech Lions, including the award for best picture. At Germany’s Berlinale the film went on to win the Critic’s Prize. The screenplay was written by Menzel himself, this time without the help of Bohumil Hrabal, who died in 1997 and who worked on all of Menzel’s previous films based on his work. Writer: Bohumil Hrabal. Screenplay: Jiří Menzel. Music: Aleš Březina. Camera: Jaromír Šofr. Director: Jiří Menzel.


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