The River

Summary

Producer Jan Reiter gave director Josef Rovenský an opportunity to make a film, which would stand out from the usual Czech production. Together they wrote a script based on Jindřich Snížek’s work, who came from the Sázava area. Rovenský, who had already directed several films of the silent era, was known primarily as an actor. At the turn of the 1920s and 1930s he was one of the busiest actors of all time, and he also gained acting opportunities in foreign productions. The River from 1933 was his first sound film. From the average Czech films of the time, it differed primarily in its subject matter and its realistic portrayal of the Czech countryside. Rovenský made a work with a simple plot about the friendship of 14-year-old Pavel and Pepička of the same age. The only dramatic plot is the boy's attempt to catch a pike, so he could use the money to buy shoes for his girl. Nature plays an important role in this film – especially the river (řeka), which does not only serve to make the atmosphere complete but is an independent personified subject capable of intervening in human destinies. The cinematographer Jan Stallich, whose way of capturing nature became an inspiration for other filmmakers and contributed greatly to the poetic charm of the film. The film had an unusual great success among domestic and foreign critics. The extraordinary commercial sales outside Czechoslovakia were boosted by its brief participation and getting an award at the second Venice Film Festival in 1934. Josef Dobeš's music, especially the theme song Silnice šedivá, was even purchased independently by several countries. The greatest importance of Řeka for Czech cinema, however, lies in the establishment of the tradition of the lyrical-poetic film genre, which was followed by other filmmakers (e.g., František Čáp or Václav Krška).

Synopsis

Note

The film was presented at the 2nd Venice Film Festival, 1934. The German speaking copy KK-N 2006,0 m is preserved in the National Film Archive.