All Good Countrymen

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1968

Production year

1968

Premiere

4 July 1969

Runtime

115 min

Category

film

Genre

historical, psychological, poetic

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Všichni dobří rodáci

Czech title

Všichni dobří rodáci

English title

All Good Countrymen

English parallel title

All My Good Countrymen

Summary

Všichni dobří rodáci (All Good Countrymen) is considered to be one of the greatest of all Czechoslovak films. However, soon after its July 1969 premiere, the film, from writer-director Vojtěch Jasný, found itself on the list of banned works. In 1970, Jasný emigrated and continued his filmmaking career in Germany. But Vojtěch Jasný ultimately returned to Czech film via Návrat ztraceného ráje (Which Side Eden, 1999), which serves as a loose sequel to Všichni dobří rodáci. These two movies are viewed as the highpoints of Jasný’s directorial career. Jasný’s 1968 effort won him a Best Director award at that year’s Cannes Film Festival. Všichni dobří rodáci was also awarded the Technical Grand Prize – Special Mention at this same festival in recognition of the excellent colour cinematography of Jaroslav Kučera. Indeed, the camera essentially serves as an additional character in this film, which tells the story of several neighbours in a small Moravian village, whose sense of joyful solidarity is strongly disrupted by the advance of 1950s collectivisation policies. This poetic chronicle in which director Jasný drew inspiration from his native town of Kelč, also boasts tremendous costume design from Ester Krumbachová. Innovative experimentation with colours, contrasts and natural light infuses Všichni dobří rodáci with an unforgettable atmosphere: it is an archetypically “pleasant” film, whose visual beauty contrasts strongly with (and perhaps even masks) the painful events depicted in the story. Jasný’s film is filled with a poetic spirit, occasionally elevated to truly surrealistic moments, which are in perfect harmony with the film’s themes of love and death – and which touch most of the main characters of the film. While love pangs draw local postman and an attractive widow into an outwardly carefree existence, the efforts of the kleptomaniac neighbour Pyřk (Vladimír Menšík) to outsmart fate lead to his tragic death. And the free-living peasant Zášinek (Waldemar Matuška) is impaled by a bull after being riddled with guilt for causing the death of his Jewish wife during World War II. Farmer František (Radoslav Brzobohatý) draws attention to himself; tight-lipped, honest and stubborn, he represents an almost self-destructive love for his native soil. And it he is who becomes the embodiment of a moral imperative – which inevitably leads to his falling victim to the new communist regime, violently forcing these villagers to become dislocated from their land. Jasný’s evocation of a natural harmony between the land and those who till it ends up serving as a kind of alternative patriotic mythology with true pathos.

Synopsis

A mosaic of the fates of the inhabitants of one of South Moravian villages following the end of the Second World War. May 1945. The atmosphere bursts with enthusiasm and hopes for future. Organ-player Očenáš rehearses a choir song celebrating Soviet soldiers. Incorrigible thief Jořka Pyřk steals a car left by the Germans, and industrious farmer František zestfully ploughs on his field. Early spring 1948. The Communists have seized power and people begin to divide themselves in opposing camps. Some farmers - usually those lazy and less capable - went in for politics and established an action committee, chasing the biggest farmer, Kurfiřt, out of the village and confiscating his vast farmstead. June 1949. People live in uncertainty and worry over the new conditions. Postman Bertin is shot by unfortunate accident. The communist injustice affects the village parish priest, who is arrested. Očenáš, mistakenly considered the originator of this wrongdoing, is forced to leave the village. July 1951. Jořka, in fear of imprisonment, does himself blood poisoning and dies. Autumn 1951. The second biggest farmer in the village, Zášinek, suffers from twinges of conscience for his very young Jewish wife whom he had divorced during the German occupation, and who died soon afterwards in a concentration camp. After one night spent in debauchery, Zášinek is killed by a bull. June 1952. The honest farmer František, who enjoys general respect and authority throughout the village, refuses to sign a document which would make him join the newly established agricultural cooperative. Being an exemplar to the rest of the villagers, he is thus kidnapped one day by those now in power. Christmas 1954. The fatally ill František escapes from the criminal military service and returns home. All the villagers unite to protect him. Spring 1955. František, still weak, but recovered, farms again. Summer 1957. The functionaries keep insisting that the village farmers join the cooperative. As soon as the police takes František away, they all give in to the pressure. Winter 1958. It is only the desperate state of the formerly thriving farms that makes František eventually join the cooperative. His honest struggle to improve the situation earns him the position of the cooperative's chairman. Epilogue. Many years have passed and Očenáš returns to the village, finding to his sorrow that František has worked himself to death. The remaining fellow-countrymen grew old, time smoothed all the edges and brought them peace and acquiescence.

Note

The carnival masks were created by lady artists Štěpánka Bernášková and Věra Kamarádová.

Cast

Radoslav Brzobohatý

sedlák František

Věra Galatíková

Františkova žena

Vlastimil Brodský

varhaník Očenáš, předseda místní organizace KSČ

Eva Blažková

Očenášova žena

Waldemar Matuška

sedlák Zášinek

Marie Málková

Zdena, Zášinkova žena

Vladimír Menšík

Jořka Pyřk zvaný Kradák

Pavel Pavlovský

listonoš Bertin, tajemník akčního výboru

Drahomíra Hofmanová

vdova Machačová zvaná Veselá vdova

Václav Babka

krejčí Franta zvaný Lampa

Růžena Merunková

Lampova žena

Jiří Tomek

polír Máčala, tajemník národního výboru

Václav Lohniský

domkář Zejvala, předseda menšinového družstva

Ilja Prachař

fotograf Josef Plécmera, nový předseda místní organizace KSČ

Jaroslava Vysloužilová

Fana, Plécmerova žena

Karel Augusta

zedník Joza Trňa

Helena Růžičková

hostinská Božka

Zdeněk Kutil

knihař Arnošt

Jaroslava Tichá

Anděla, Zášinkova hospodyně

Alexandra Korytová

Marie, Františkova dcera jako dítě

Michaela Černá

Marie, Františkova dcera jako dívka

Josef Hlinomaz

malíř Frajz

Svatopluk Skládal

obchodník Juchta

Karel Vochoč

Peton, nový předseda národního výboru

Vladimír Ptáček

řezník Rabona

Milan Sandhaus

sedlák Jindřich Kurfiřt

Ivana Bílková

Kurfiřtova žena

Oldřich Velen

příslušník VB

Lubomír Kostelka

Véna, Kradákův kamarád

Jiří Kodet

příslušník SNB s knírkem

Jaromír Hons

hudebník

Otakar Horký

hudebník-klarinetista

Adolf Peterka

sedlák Šprk

František Kašpar

ladič varhan

Zdeněk Novák

zapisovatel Peroutka

Jan Báča

strýc Josef Vigoň

Leopold Fric

hostinský v Hrubé hospodě

Milada Burešová

Lampova milenka

Jiří Němec

sedlák Tyčka

Jan Mauer

sedlák

Jan Štafa

sedlák

František Unčovský

muž prodávající Lampovi dům

Töglová

sousedka

Jiří Vrzal

tanečník v maškarní masce

Pavel Veselý

tanečník v maškarní masce

bratři Kubáskové

chlapci v maskách tří králů

obyvatelé města Bystrého u Poličky

sousedé

Commentary

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Jaromír Dvořáček

Screenstory

Vojtěch Jasný

Screenplay

Vojtěch Jasný

Shooting Script

Vojtěch Jasný

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Kučera

Second Unit Photography

Karel Ludvík

Camera Operator

Jiří Pospíšil

Production Designer

Karel Lier

Assistent Production Designer

Josef Kraus, Věra Líznerová

Art Director

Ester Krumbachová

Set Designer

Jiří Rulík, Ivo Černý, Miloš Osvald

Costume Designer

Ester Krumbachová

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek, Jan Kučera (zkrácení)

Assistant Film Editor

Vilemína Binterová

Sound Designer

Dobroslav Šrámek

Production Manager

Jaroslav Jílovec

Unit Production Manager

Jana Koubová, Jaroslav Koucký

Unit Production Manager

Jan Milič

Cooperation

Jaromír Komárek (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Svatopluk Havelka

Selected Music

Ruggiero Leoncavallo (Komedianti – opera), Fryderyk Chopin (Preludium Des dur Dešťové kapky)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Choreographer

Karel Vrtiška, Olga Ferebauerová

Songs

Sólo v sále

Song Composer Svatopluk Havelka
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Kopta
Singer Radoslav BrzobohatýWaldemar MatuškaVladimír Menšíksbor

Vrť se, dievča

Singer Václav Babka

Ej, svítilo slunéčko

Singer Drahomíra Hofmanová

Kladno, ty černé Kladno

Song Composer Josef Šustr
Writer of Lyrics Jindřich Tydrych
Singer Vladimír MenšíkLubomír Kostelka

Bábinčin maršovský valčík

Song Composer Jaroslav Křička
Writer of Lyrics Petr Křička
Singer Vladimír Menšík

Na osice listí vadne

Singer Waldemar Matuška

Čerešničky, čerešničky, čerešně

Singer Waldemar MatuškaRadoslav BrzobohatýHelena Růžičkovásbor

Padá, padá rosenka

Singer Waldemar Matuška

Směj se, paňáco

Song Composer Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Singer Karel AugustaVáclav Babka

My tři králové jdeme k vám

Singer bratři Kubáskové

Budujeme /Teď když máme co jsme chtěli/

Song Composer Václav Dobiáš

Kupředu, zpátky ni krok

Song Composer Jan Seidel

Byla noc krásná

Holka neznámá, dej mi dráma, bych si zakouřit moh'

Production info

Original Title

Všichni dobří rodáci

Czech Title

Všichni dobří rodáci

English Title

All Good Countrymen

English Parallel Title

All My Good Countrymen

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

historical, psychological, poetic

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1968

Production Year

1968

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 3 May 1967
technical Screenplay approved 13 December 1967
start of filming 9 February 1968
end of filming 4 August 1968
projection approval 27 December 1968
the first film copy approved 27 December 1968

Premiere

gala premiere 24 April 1969 (kino Sevastopol, Praha)
preview 30 April 1969 (Bystré u Poličky)
premiere 8 May 1969 /suitable for youths/ (kina Sevastopol /9 týdnů/ a Kotva /4 týdny/, Praha)
premiere 4 July 1969 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
renewed premiere 1 January 1990 /suitable for youths/
renewed premiere 1 August 2013 /unsuitable for children under 12/

Studio

Barrandov

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů (původní 1969 a obnovená 1990), Asociace českých filmových klubů, o.s. (obnovená 2013 /Projekt 100 – 2013/; monopol do 31. 12. 2013)

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Šmída – Fikar, Ladislav Fikar (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

115 min

Original length in metres

3 273 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm, DCP 2-D, DVD

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Anketa Českého rozhlasu – Kánon100 (nejoblíbenější umělecká díla posledních 100 let)

2018
Praha / Czech Republic

Vítěz

Event: Anketa filmových kritiků o nejlepší česko-slovenský hraný film století

1998
Praha / Czech Republic

Vítěz

Exhibition: 22. mezinárodní týden Verona

1991
Verona / Italy

Vítěz

Event: Cena české filmové kritiky za rok 1968

1969
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Event: Ceny Trilobit 1968

1969
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Vladimír Menšík

Vítěz

Festival: 20. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´69

1969
39 měst / Czechoslovakia
Vladimír Menšík

Vítěz

Festival: 2. Finále Plzeň

1969
Plzeň / Czechoslovakia
Jaroslav Kučera

Vítěz

Festival: 2. Finále Plzeň

1969
Plzeň / Czechoslovakia
Vojtěch Jasný

Vítěz

Festival: 7. filmový festival mladých Trutnov

1969
Trutnov / Czechoslovakia
Vladimír Menšík

Vítěz

Festival: 22. mezinárodní filmový festival Cannes

1969
Cannes / France
Vojtěch Jasný

Vítěz

Event: Ceny Trilobit 1968

1969
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Vojtěch Jasný

Vítěz

Event: Setkání s krátkým filmem v Ligně

1969
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 20. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´69

1969
39 měst / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 22. mezinárodní filmový festival Cannes

1969
Cannes / France
Jaroslav Kučera

Vítěz

Event: Umělecká soutěž k 50. výročí vzniku Československa a 70. výročí československé kinematografie o nejlepší scénář

1968
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Vojtěch Jasný