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Poor Girl (Chudá holka) – Martin Frič (1929)
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Continue reading →: Poor Girl (Chudá holka) – Martin Frič (1929)The very title Chudá holka (“Poor Girl”) already hints at the genre and storyline and you would not be mistaken. Based on the novel of the same name by Václav Čech-Stráň, the plot is rather conventional and heavily influenced by foreign—particularly Russian—literature. Fortunately, Martin Frič’s direction elevates the material: through…
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Sin of a Beautiful Woman (Hříchy lásky) – Karel Lamač (1929)
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Continue reading →: Sin of a Beautiful Woman (Hříchy lásky) – Karel Lamač (1929)Among the films released by the NFA for the Season of Classic Films is Karel Lamač’s Hříchy lásky. In some respects, it reminded me a lot of the Danish Klovnen or Varieté and other films of that type. The story is far from original, revolving around the theatrical world and…
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Continue reading →: For the Czechoslovak State (Za československý stát) – Vladimír Studecký (1928)Ten years after the founding of the Czechoslovak state, this propaganda film was produced to tell a story little known in Italy: that of the Czechoslovak Legions, who joined the Entente in the hope—eventually fulfilled—that the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire would bring independence. With the backing of intellectuals such…
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Three Czechoslovak Silent Documentaries and…
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Continue reading →: Three Czechoslovak Silent Documentaries and…In this article, we take a journey from the capital, Prague, to the more remote areas of today’s Czech Republic and Slovakia, guided by the sensitivity of Svatopluk Innemann, already familiar to us through this project, and Karel Plicka. At the end, you’ll also find a fascinating little experimental bonus.…
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Eva’s Daughters (Dcery Eviny) – Karel Lamač (1928)
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Continue reading →: Eva’s Daughters (Dcery Eviny) – Karel Lamač (1928)Dcery Eviny is the last Czech silent film made by the duo Karel Lamač and Anny Ondra before they both moved to Germany. Ondra, in particular, would go on to enjoy a successful stint in British cinema under Alfred Hitchcock (see our dedicated project on the site). This is a…
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Blednoucí romance: A Film to Save the Past
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Continue reading →: Blednoucí romance: A Film to Save the PastWe’ve already touched on a part of Blednoucí romance (1958) when we began the project dedicated to Czech and Slovak silent cinema with Song of Life (Píseň života, 1924). To understand the importance of this film, one must consider the post-war context: many films had been destroyed during the conflict,…
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Continue reading →: An Old Gangster’s Molls (Milenky starého kriminálníka) – Svatopluk Innemann (1927)Milenky starého kriminálníka is one of the most playful and spirited silent comedies I have ever seen, featuring an absolutely stunning Anny Ondra in an atypical role for her. The protagonist is a fearless, tomboyish young woman who delights in mischief for the thrill of it. The film partially subverts…
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The Kreutzer Sonata (Kreutzerova Sonáta) – Gustav Machatý (1927)
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Continue reading →: The Kreutzer Sonata (Kreutzerova Sonáta) – Gustav Machatý (1927)Today’s film takes inspiration from one of Tolstoy’s lesser-known novels, The Kreutzer Sonata. The story is fairly traditional, centering on a man, Pozdnyšev, and his intense jealousy toward his wife, with whom he has a complicated relationship. From what I have seen of the plot, this adaptation seems reasonably faithful…
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Batalion – Přemysl Pražský (1927)
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Continue reading →: Batalion – Přemysl Pražský (1927)Batalion could be likened to a song by Bob Dylan, a drama devoted to society’s outcasts, a series of interwoven stories of suffering that inevitably lead to tragedy, yet without losing their humor and humanity. The film is based on a 1922 novel by Josef Hais Týnecký, part of his…
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The Good Soldier Schweik in Czech Silent Cinema
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Continue reading →: The Good Soldier Schweik in Czech Silent CinemaThe Good Soldier Schweik is one of the most famous characters in Czech literature and cinema, thanks especially to the portrayal by Rudolf Hrušínský. Yet before all that, there was an earlier Švejk, who appeared in a series of films from 1926 to 1930, but was soon forgotten. This was…
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