IFFK Assignment - By a Sharp Knife Review

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An intelligent emotional thriller that manages to stand out, although being woven around a much seen premise.
The plot goes in familiar lines but develops quite interestingly, generating curiosity in each scene. Roman Luknar plays the central character of L'udovit who loses his son on a night that could have ended without anything unwanted happening in their life. The theme of injustice handled in the film is universal and hence easily relatable. 

The fight L'udovit takes up to bring the culprits to the law, sadly reveals the apathy that exists in the legal system. Later, the old man realises that he is up against an enemy beyond his powers. Dominance of Neo-Nazism on the society, particularly the influence it has on bureaucracy is effectively depicted. Meanwhile, Slovakian youth is shown to be falling prey to this dangerous culture. The crime syndicate recruits youngsters to carry forward their agendas and any form of resistance from the youngsters is sure to fail. If anyone tries to escape the terror or call in for help, they are likely to be persecuted or butchered without any trace left. It is terrifying as a viewer to witness the flaws within the system, mainly because of the uncompromising realism in the treatment adopted to narrate the story. Roman Luknar shines in the scenes where L'udovit learns to live with the pain. His restrained acting becomes a major highlight, especially when he breaks it towards the ending.There is also an internal conflict of guilt in the character, which may cause the viewer to empathise. A profound change occurs in the behaviour as he gets to know about his son even more. The unexpected twists and turns also help the narrative to never lose its grip on the audience. 

By a Sharp Knife amuses you with its novelty even with its tried and tested formulaic story, if you are ready to pay enough attention to the complete package.

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