During the Dark Ages of the 8th Century, in the country later known as Czechoslovakia, after the death of the great chieftain Krok (Ivo Novák), the tribes of the Bohemian forests elect his youngest daughter Libuse (Winter Ave Zoli) as their ruler. Like her sisters, healer Kazi (Veronika Bellová) and priestess Teta (Vera Filatova), Libuse possesses arcane supernatural powers. In her case the gift of prophecy. Consulting with ancient spirits enables Libuse to guide her people towards increasing prosperity while an all-female army commanded by her childhood friend, bad-ass warrior woman Vlasta (Lea Mornar) maintain the peace. Unfortunately, some of her male chauvinist subjects prove reluctant to take orders from a woman. They insist Libuse choose a king, while some ambitious old goats put themselves forward as suitors. For the sake of securing the throne Libuse marries her secret lover, an affable ploughman named Premysl (Csaba Lucas). But this decision seals her doom and brings about the end of the old mystical matriarchal kingdom and the rise of a new patriarchal system that gives birth to the city of Prague.
Sadly, The Pagan Queen stands as an example of how sloppy filmmaking can mess up a story laden with fascinating historical insight. A Czechoslovakian production filmed with a Czech cast - aside from American lead Winter Ave Zoli, best known for her role in controversial biker TV drama Sons of Anarchy - performing in English, the film was slammed by Czech critics for taking a fanciful approach to such a well known historical story, mixing fact with outright fantasy, but was better received in countries unfamiliar with the revered figure of Queen Libuse. Co-written by director Constantin Werner, whose only previous feature was necrophiliac road trip romance Dead Leaves (1998), and Irish writer-director Lance Daly, the screenplay draws most of its inspiration from the 18th and 19th century romantic German fairytales and plays of writers Johann Karl August Musäus, Clemens Brentano and Franz Grillparzer along with the 1894 book "Old Bohemian Legends" compiled by Czech author Alois Jirásek. The source material is known to emphasize the supernatural elements of the story combined with philosophy and psychology.
Although the script has many intelligent, intriguing ideas Werner develops them in as clunky and awkward a manner possible. His frustratingly wayward storytelling either presumes the audience are familiar with these historical events (in which case, why make this in English?) or is simply inept at clarifying characters, antagonists and specific incidents. Werner has the benefit of the natural beauty of Czech scenery to elevate this above many of the other mid-budget Euro historical romps released direct to video of late. Yet his direction botches every action scene and emotional beat. Seemingly important characters disappear from the plot or switch from hero to villain at random. Libuse herself remains a fascinating figure, almost a pioneering feminist icon in her progressive sociopolitical idealism and attitude towards sex, taking lovers as she sees fit. Devoting herself to helping humankind despite her sisters being more receptive to nature, Libuses uses her magic to provide spiritual guidance. Some of her actions are un-ambiguously supernatural (e.g. helping a man locate his missing child) while others are more practical (e.g. advising peasants to kill and burn infected animals in order to curtail the plague). Unfortunately The Pagan Queen proves more persuasive at stressing the brutal and morally ambiguous Premsyl's role in forging the Czech nation than the well intentioned but ineffectual Libuse, whose every decision seems to end in disaster.
