Magic Adventure

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1982

Production year

1982

Premiere

1 February 1983

Runtime

101 min

Category

film

Genre

historical, poetic

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Kouzelné dobrodružství

Czech title

Kouzelné dobrodružství

English title

Magic Adventure

Summary

Based on the novel Le Grand Meaulnes by French writer Alain-Fournier, this 1982 costume drama was an attempt by director Antonín Kachlík to shake off his reputation for making strongly political and ideological films at the behest of state authorities. But not even the screenwriting assistance of Josef Hanzlík (Deváté srdce – The Ninth Heart, 1978; Poklad hraběte Chamaré – Treasure of Count Chamaré, 1984) could save this film from the apathy of critics and filmgoers. The film, transferred from France to pre-First World War Austria-Hungary, tells the story of two small town high school friends, Gustav and František. The adventure promised in the title is related via these two youngsters, along with siblings Yvonne and Franz, as a series of tragic and fateful events in the ensuing years even ends up damaging their friendship. The two lead characters are played by David Prachař and Ivan Gogál. The hapless siblings are played by Julie Jurištová and Ondřej Pavelka.

Synopsis

Two students at a grammar school in a small Czech city become friends. Gustav is wild and František is shy and serious. Gustav wants to leave the school, but he strays to a dilapidated castle in a foggy woods. In a costume borrowed from an old man, he takes part in a carnival celebration in the mask of Pierot. He falls in love with the charming Yvonna de Galais. She promises she will wait for him. Her brother Franz was left by his fiancé a night before their wedding and the heart-broken young man shoots and wounds himself. Gustav comes back to school. Together with František, they look unsuccessfully for the mysterious castle. After some time, they meet at the fair among comedians Franz and his custodian – the old Pierot. The students swear to the mentally unbalanced Franz that they will help him whenever he calls. Gustav leaves to Prague and in front of the empty de Galais villa, he meets an attractive Valentina. From her, he learns that Yvonna is married. Gustav starts to live with Valentina, but he leaves her when he understands that she used to be Franz's fiancé. The girl ends up as a prostitute. František, now already a teacher, meets Yvonna by chance. The beautiful, but poor, girl is still single. František falls deeply in love with her, but he arranges a meeting for her with Gustav. Gustav is no longer a romanticist, but he keeps his promise, given a long time ago and he marries her. After their wedding night, he leaves her – he sets out to the insane Franz. František takes care of Yvonna. After her tragic death during childbirth, he also takes care of her little daughter. They live together at the old castle. After years, Gustav comes back and harshly demands the house and also the child. A demolition of the old residence means the end of the ancient magic adventure.

Note

The particular chapters are called: I. Gustav, II. Franz de Galais, III. Valentina, IV. Yvonna and V. František

Film online

Cast

David Prachař

student František, později učitel

Ivan Gogál

student Gustav Möllenbach

Julie Jurištová

Yvonna de Galais

Ondřej Pavelka

Franz, Yvonnin bratr

Jan Fišar

Šimon Horowitz

Alexej Gsöllhofer

strýc Winkler

Valerie Zawadská

modistka Valentina

Kateřina Lojdová

Ema, Šimonova snoubenka, Františkova sestřenice

Milan Riehs

řídící učitel

Jaroslava Tichá

žena řídícího učitele

Valerie Kaplanová

Gustavova babička

Renata Benátčanová

Agáta

Karel Šebesta

stavbyvedoucí

Zuzana Šímová

Anna

Jan Kuželka

číšník Wencl

Jiřina Zemanová

řádová sestra

Mirko Musil

venkovan

Jana Robenková

lékárníkova žena

Petr Svárovský

poručík, Šimonův bratr

Kateřina Lojdová

malá Yvonna

Zdeněk Blažek

zřízenec

Jana Davídková

Helenka

František Kubíček

hospodář s lucernou

Jiří Kratina

Karel

Petra Matulová

Evička

Petr Mikulášek

Josef

Veronika Valentová

Anička

Lubomír Růžička

Vilík

Pavel Rubeš

lékař

Jindra Šubrová

přítelkyně

Ela Šilarová

hejtmanová

Věra Kafuňková

kráska

Jan Chuchro

šraml

Slavoj Procházka

šraml

Ota Semínko

šraml

Josef Babický

hudebník

Karel Blahout

hudebník

Josef Brtáň

hudebník

Josef Hurtík

hudebník

Ladislav Havel

hudebník

Stanislav Hondlík

hudebník

Miloslav Kučaba

hudebník

František Král (2)

hudebník

Oldřich Kylich

hudebník

Miroslav Liška

hudebník

Miloslav Mulač

hudebník

Pavel Matějček

hudebník

Martin Mysliveček

hudebník

František Pekárek

hudebník

Jaroslav Pašek

hudebník

Ludvík Pacík

hudebník

Vladimír Petržilka

hudebník

Miloslav Pokorný

hudebník

Jaroslav Pistorius

hudebník

Emil Pařízek

hudebník

Bohumil Sigmund

hudebník

Alois Šnajdr

hudebník

Josef Trpák

hudebník

Jaroslav Votýpka

hudebník

Eva Weissová

prostitutka

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Jiří Růžička st.

Assistant Director

Petr Šícha

Based on

Alain Fournier (Kouzelné dobrodružství /Le grand Meaulnes/ – román)

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Kučera

Second Unit Photography

Jaroslav Brabec

Camera Operator

Václav Zajíček

Production Designer

Boris Moravec

Assistent Production Designer

Jaroslav Řeřicha

Set Designer

Karel Kočí, Petr Matouš, Milan Tahotný

Costume Designer

Irena Greifová

Assistant Film Editor

Alena Chvojková, Anna Mejtská

Sound Designer

Milan R. Novotný

Production Manager

Petr Čapek

Unit Production Manager

Evelyna Jarolímková, Dana Dudová, Iva Šetková

Unit Production Manager

Jan Kočí

Cooperation

D. Urbanová (klapka), Alena Červená (fotografka)

Music

Music Composed by

Oldřich Flosman

Music Performed by

FISYO

Songs

Tichá noc /Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht/

Song Composer Franz Xaver Gruber

Kočka leze dírou, pes oknem

Production info

Original Title

Kouzelné dobrodružství

Czech Title

Kouzelné dobrodružství

English Title

Magic Adventure

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

historical, poetic

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1982

Production Year

1982

Premiere

premiere 1 February 1983 /unsuitable for youths/

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

4. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Stanislav Rudolf (vedoucí 4. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

101 min

Original length in metres

2 865 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

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

Festival: 31. mezinárodní filmový festival San Sebastián

1983
San Sebastián / Spain

Vítěz

Festival: 21. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ostrava

1983
Ostrava / Czechoslovakia
Jaroslav Kučera

Vítěz

Festival: 31. mezinárodní filmový festival San Sebastián

1983
San Sebastián / Spain
Jaroslav Kučera