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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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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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Continue reading →: The Loves of Kacenka Strnadova (Lásky Kačenky Strnadové) – Svatopluk Innemann (1926)Following Falešná kočička, we continue with the second of the three comedies starring Vlasta Burian and Zdena Kavková, written by Josef Skružný and directed by Svatopluk Innemann. Of the trio, this is, in my opinion, the weakest: too caricatural, often incoherent, and structured as if it had been conceived for…
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Continue reading →: Josef Kajetán Tyl – Svatopluk Innemann (1926)As we’ve seen more than once, early Czech cinema often turned to cultural figures who had kept the national spirit alive under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Josef Kajetán Tyl was one of them: writer, actor, and playwright, he is perhaps best remembered as the author of the 1834 verses that became…
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Continue reading →: The Little False Cat (Falešná kočička) – Svatopluk Innemann (1926)Anyone who knows me is aware that when I tackle a project, I tend to proceed chronologically, to get a sense of the evolution of an artist — or, in this case, of a national cinema. Falešná kočička is the first Czech silent comedy that genuinely entertained me, despite the…
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Continue reading →: The Lantern (Lucerna) – Karel Lamač (1925)Alois Jirásek was one of the most important figures in the cultural awakening that eventually led to the birth of Czechoslovakia in 1918. A university professor, writer, and member of parliament from 1920 to 1925, he was nominated several times for the Nobel Prize, though never awarded it. Among his…
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Continue reading →: White Paradise (Bílý ráj) – Karel Lamač (1924)Before diving in, I’d like to thank the Národní filmový archiv for giving me the chance to see this film and write about it. This project has been long and demanding, and reaching its near end wouldn’t have been possible without the archive’s help. Bílý ráj is a particularly fascinating…
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Continue reading →: Song of Life (Píseň života) – Miroslav Josef Krňanský (1924)Though it has survived only in a heavily truncated form, Píseň života still manages to deliver its tragic impact in just twenty minutes. The story itself, written and adapted by director Miroslav Josef Krňanský, is not particularly original — yet it leaves a strong impression. The surviving footage cuts off…
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Continue reading →: Be Prepared! (Buď připraven!) – Svatopluk Innemann (1923)As part of the “Season of Classic Films” event, the Národní filmový archiv (NFA) released several restored titles with newly composed scores. Alongside the better-known classics, one unusual work resurfaced: Buď připraven! (Be Prepared!), a film that in some ways fits the propaganda mold we’ve seen before — but this…
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Continue reading →: The Kidnapping of Fux the Banker (Únos bankéře Fuxe) – Karel Anton (1923)Also known as Sherlock Holmes II, this comedy borrows some of the playful tone of German films of the period — with Lubitsch as their undisputed master — but filters it through a distinctly local flavor, not always to its advantage. As often happened in “peripheral” film industries, the impression…
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