Go Back to Your Grave!

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1989

Production year

1989

Premiere

1 August 1990

Runtime

96 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Vrať se do hrobu

Czech title

Vrať se do hrobu

English title

Go Back to Your Grave!

Working title

Po maturitě / Vrať se do hrobu!

Summary

This tragicomedy about the pitfalls a man entering “Christ’s age” may encounter was Milan Šteindler’s first work as a director. Among the prominent playwrights of the Sklep Theatre, he further demonstrated his talent by creating a “traditional” narrative. With a significant contribution from screenwriter Halina Pawlowská, Vrať se do hrobu (Go Back to Your Grave!, 1989) differs in both form and style from films made by other Sklep ensemble members: for example, the mosaic Pražská 5 (The Prague Five, 1988) and the rhythmical Kouř (Smoke, 1990) by Tomáš Vorel and the audio-visual feérie Don Gio (1992) by brothers Michal and Šimon Caban. Yet Šteindler’s film is still a generational work, whose main character wages an exaggeratedly comic battle with his groundlessness and mental complexes stemming from life under the previous regime. Sociologist Víťa Jakoubek (Milan Šteindler) has both a job and a family but neither satisfies him. When at last given an independent research project – to examine the marking system for high school leavers – he jumps at the chance and, relying on his youthful looks, pretends to be a new student in class. The scientist’s cover is known only to the school’s director while its staff and students haven’t a clue. However, the research becomes slightly derailed: the thirtysomething man finds the return to his adolescence much too enticing and starts leading a double life. His high-school alter ego soon begins to impact Víťa’s family life. An affair with a schoolmate named Eva (Klára Pollertová) suddenly seems more comprehensible than his relationship with wife, Jana (Dana Batulková). However, since morality is at stake, the truth about the central character is revealed and his new friends send the scientist where they think he belongs: to the grave… This likeable, unjustly neglected film is both clever and humorous entertainment. Halina Pawlowská, with whom Šteindler also collaborated in the making of another tragicomedy, Díky za každé nové ráno (I Thank You for Each New Morning, 1994), makes a cameo appearance as a cleaner, while Jaroslav Dušek plays Víťa’s much too talkative colleague Horálek, in the first of his many portrayals of obnoxious officials.

Synopsis

Social scientist Víťa Jakoubek – a married man in his thirties and the father of two sons, Jakub and Martin – is not satisfied with his life. He was not appointed to any scientific task in the research institute where he works, he lives on a grey housing estate, his wife Jana is constantly in a rush, the children are unruly and he has to work hard on the cottage of his father-in-law every weekend. But then he is finally appointed to an independent sociological research aimed at finding out the value system of high-school graduates. One of the pedagogues at a grammar school considers him to be a new student. The young sociologist adopts this cover identity with the awareness of the schoolmaster. Although he is not attractive at all and his style of dressing is viewed as hopelessly outdated by his schoolmates, Víťa gains many friends among the graduates and even the big-eyed class star Eva falls in love with him. Students come to believe that Víťa was delayed in his studies by illness, and he is moreover only a few years older. Víťa begins to fancy student life again, he passes Jana off as his older sister in front of the gang of his schoolmates, and forbids his sons to talk about him and recognize him as their father. The researched students sometimes surprise Víťa – for example by demanding a bribe for prompting at the blackboard. Víťa goes to a disco with his student gang but he does not have too much fun – men of his age asking for a dance are palmed off by the sentence "Go back to your grave!" The same evening, Víťa is expected at home by his wife, his mother-in-law and Jakub suffering from an inflammation of the middle ear. Víťa gets some new, modern clothes because he is flattered by Eva's interest in him. A new after-school club manager refuses to hand him his son over for the boy obediently keeps denying his father in public. The double life causes Víťa problems and the angry Jana eventually moves away to her parents with the children. Although Víťa fails at the A-level exams, he throws a party at home for his schoolmates and then ends up in bed with Eva. His shocked mother-in-law, who catches him red handed, betrays the Víťa's age as well as his marital status to the students. The disgusted youngsters discard him and Eva subsequently sends him "back to the grave". Víťa first tries to reconcile with his wife, but in vain. He meets her in a park after sometime. Eva is sitting in a tree and Víťa thus climbs up to her. It seems that the crisis is over. Víťa receives a new research task in the institute. This time, he leaves to a retirement home to explore the value system of citizens enjoying their well deserved rest.

Cast

Milan Šteindler

sociolog Víťa Jakoubek

Dana Batulková

Jana, Víťova žena

Klára Pollertová

studentka Eva Málková

Kryštof Koláček

Jakub, Víťův syn

Matěj Peprník

Martin, Víťův syn

Zdeněk Marek

student Ivan Holeka zvaný Holda

Aleš Machalíček

tlustý student Polívka

Jiří Vala

dr. Brousek, Víťův ředitel

Věra Vlčková

ředitelka gymnázia

Jan Gross

třídní profesor Holub

Svatava Hubeňáková

Víťova tchyně

Věra Laňková

Kolovecká, Víťova sousedka

Eva Tauchenová

Tomanová, profesorka matematiky

Monika Šeligová

studentka Pachnerová

Iva Taťounová

studentka Týna Princová

Jakub Čistecký

student Rychlík

Jan Trávníček

student Bohdan Milický

Mojmír Hušek

profesor Jaroslav Spousta

Yvetta Blanarovičová

sekretářka Jarmilka

Jaroslav Dušek

funkcionář Horálek, Vítův kolega

Jaroslav Wagner

Víťův tchán

Vlastimil Zavřel

hostinský Jarda

Lenka Vychodilová

profesorka němčiny Trojanová

Zuzana Bláhová

družinářka

Kateřina Boučková

dr. Havránková

Jitka Hoferková

docentka Karešová

Eva Vlachová

matka Málková

Ladislav Chroust

otec Málek

Milan Šroubek

sociolog Mareš

Josef Petrů

Mareš ml.

Luboš Veselý

Vláďa, Víťův kamarád

I. Kratochvílová

Vláďova žena

Jaroslav Kolísek

Jarda, Víťův kamarád

Eva Holubová

redaktorka Irena Nováková, Víťova kamarádka

P. Hodač

Vašek Novák, Víťův kamarád

Ondřej Trojan

Lancek, Víťův kamarád

Jan Dejmek

kolotočář

Alois Tesař

předseda družstva

Miroslav Dubský

příslušník VB

Petr Koutecký

příslušník VB

Petr Weig

nadpraporčík VB

R. Kadlec

student Josef Kalandra z Brna

M. Škorpil

student němčiny Petr Vašut

Oskar Reif

kamarád

Věra Víchová

kamarádka

Ivan Kušjak

kamarád

Věra Černá (2)

kamarádka

R. Ajjanová

studentka

S. Bloch

student

Z. Frey

student

K. Havlíková

studentka

J. Hub

student

J. Jakeš

student

V. Karjagin

student

Hana Pafková

studentka

S. Kovářová

studentka

Anna Krylová

studentka

M. Mrázek

student

I. Majerová

studentka

M. Míka

student

D. Novotná

studentka

K. Ouředníková

studentka

J. Pondělíček

student

P. Štěpánek

student

S. Vacková

studentka

I. Zámostná

studentka

Petr Hošek

zdvořilý mladík v autobuse

Jiří Kratochvíl

Karel Smrž

harmonikář

Jan Bagár

hudebník

Karel Šelmeczi

hudebník

T. Gunár

hudebník

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Oskar Reif

Assistant Director

Roman Fara

Continuity

Jana Goetzová

Director of Photography

Miroslav Čvorsjuk

Second Unit Photography

Karel Dobřichovský

Camera Operator

Ivan Šimůnek

Production Designer

Jindřich Goetz

Assistent Production Designer

Vladimír Heiser

Set Designer

Milan Bábik, Radan Kapinos, Karel Vaňásek

Costume Designer

Tereza Kučerová

Film Editor

Věra Flaková

Sound Designer

Tomáš Janeček

Assistant Sound Designer

Tomáš Červenka

Production Manager

Jaroslav Bouček

Unit Production Manager

Jitka Hoferková, Pavel Nový

Unit Production Manager

Michal Přikryl, Jakub Meissner

Cooperation

Eva Blažková (klapka), Michal Fairaizl (fotograf), Vladimír Michálek, P. Jakubcová, V. Kouba, L. Jantovský, Pavel Schlumperger, J. Malý

Music

Music Composed by

Miloslav Halík

Music Performed by

Štěpán Markovič, Miloslav Halík

Songs

Jasná zpráva

Song Composer Petr Janda
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Vrba
Singer Petr JandaOlympic

Gejzír

Song Composer Jindřich Parma
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Cmíral
Singer Petr Kotvaldskupina Trik

Já s písničkou jdu jako ptáček

Song Composer Jan Frank Fischer
Writer of Lyrics Jan Frank FischerJaromír Pleskot
Singer Věra LaňkováMilan Šteindler

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

Song Composer tradicionál
Writer of Lyrics Ernst Anschütz
Singer sbor

Studentská halenka

Singer sbor

Pohádka mládí

Song Composer Karel Vacek
Writer of Lyrics Karel Vacek
Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Vrať se do hrobu

Czech Title

Vrať se do hrobu

English Title

Go Back to Your Grave!

Working Title

Po maturitě / Vrať se do hrobu!

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1989

Production Year

1989

Production specifications

start of filming 4 April 1989
end of filming 27 June 1989
the first film copy approved 12 October 1989
projection approval 17 November 1989

Premiere

gala premiere 7 June 1990 (kino Lucerna, Praha)
premiere 1 August 1990 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

1. tvůrčí skupina, Jiří Blažek (vedoucí 1. tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

96 min

Original length in metres

2 522 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: 4. filmový festival mladých Velké Poříčí u Hronova

1990
Velké Poříčí u Hronova / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 12. festival české a slovenské filmové veselohry Novoměstský hrnec smíchu Nové Město nad Metují

1990
Nové Město nad Metují / Czechoslovakia
Milan Šteindler

Vítěz

Festival: 41. filmový festival pracujících – léto '90

1990
95 měst / Czechoslovakia
Milan Šteindler

Vítěz

Exhibition: Dny českého a slovenského filmu Bratislava

1990
Bratislava / Czechoslovakia
Milan Šteindler