The Czech May Day in Silent Cinema

– It Was the First of May (Byl první máj) – Thea Červenková (1919)

This short film holds a special place in Czech cinema history, as it marks the debut of the country’s second female director, Thea Červenková. Though her career was brief, she managed to direct films, write screenplays, and even run her own production company, Filmový ústav, together with Josef Brabec. With Brabec behind the camera and Červenková in the director’s chair, their first work, Byl první máj, came to life, featuring several well-known figures: Svatopluk Innemann, his mother Ludmila Innemannová (an opera singer), and the legendary Josef Šváb-Malostranský.

The story follows a young man (Svatopluk Innemann) who is deeply in love with a young woman (Eva Levínská), and it seems that she returns his affection. One day, however, while waiting for her in the park, he sees her instead responding to the advances of an older man (Josef Šváb-Malostranský), who wins her over with jewels and gifts. Encouraged by her mother (Ludmila Innemannová), the girl eventually marries the wealthy suitor, leaving the young man so distraught that he resolves to end his life… But all of this turns out to be only a dream. He awakens to find the girl running joyfully toward him, and among the blossoming trees of May Day, the two are happily reunited.

Although the title ties the story to May Day, the holiday itself is never actually referenced, making the setting feel rather arbitrary. The film is riddled with mistakes and questionable choices, clearly revealing that Červenková and Brabec were still novices. For example, the opening scene, meant to show the two young lovers thinking of each other, is so clumsy that I ended up making a gif just to demonstrate its awkwardness. Looking at the screenshots, you’ll also notice how often characters are inexplicably cropped out of frame. There are attempts at camera movements, but they are stiff and not always motivated.

And yet, despite its flaws, Thea Červenková’s story is fascinating. She remains an intriguing figure, and I would be very curious to see more of her work. She was only the second Czech woman to direct films; the first, Olga Rautenkranzová, about whom very little is known, we have already discussed elsewhere.

– For the Girl (O děvčicu) – Josef Folprecht & Karel Degl (1918)

May Day was also the occasion for this short film, set in a Moravian village during the celebrations. Anka (Vlasta Lašková) takes advantage of the festivities to sneak away with the sleazy gamekeeper (Florentin Steinsberg). The local youths, who admire Anka, are outraged by the man’s behavior and decide to punish him by dragging him back to town.

With O děvčicu, one feels transported ten years backward in time compared to Binovec’s A vášeň vítězí, and the regression is puzzling. The only real reason to watch the film is its focus on traditional Moravian costumes, which occupy much of the running time. The flimsy plot seems little more than an excuse to showcase folk traditions: dancing, drinking, and the raising of the Maypole (a whole tree stripped of its bark except for the branches and greenery at the top). It is worth noting that this film was shot just a few days before the creation of the Czechoslovak state in September 1918!