Private Gale

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1967

Production year

1967

Premiere

22 December 1967

Runtime

95 min

Director

Hynek Bočan

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Soukromá vichřice

Czech title

Soukromá vichřice

English title

Private Gale

Summary

Writer Vladimír Páral first came to the attention of filmmakers in 1967 when director Hynek Bočan adapted his book Soukromá vichřice (Private Gale) into this feature-film comedy. Bočan’s previous film – feature debut Nikdo se nebude smát (Nobody Gets the Last Laugh, 1965) – was also inspired by a literary work, namely a short story by Milan Kundera. The novel Soukromá vichřice (Private Storm) was published in 1966 (its expanded subtitle reads: Laboratorní zpráva ze života hmyzu, or A Laboratory Report on the Life of Insects). Similarly to other stories from Páral´s “Black Pentalogy” (Veletrh splněných přání, or Fair of Fulfilled Wishes; Katapult, or Catapult; Milenci a vrazi, or Lovers & Murderers; Profesionální žena, or Professional Woman), the work is critical of archetypal heroic stereotypes, paradoxically merely trying to escape everyday banality and boredom. The protagonist of this story is chemical factory employee Áda Vinš, who tries to escape from his marriage to Joža via a relationship with Bohunka – a girlfriend of his subordinate Standa. Joska – who loans his cottage to the lovers – in turn comforts the lonely Joža… The games of canasta, by which the protagonists bide their time when visiting each other, serve as a symbol representing the characters’ wasted lives… The screenplay, written by the author of the original novel, along with experienced screenwriter Věra Kalábová and director Bočan, employs Páral’s archetypal partnership pattern, which resonates in the relationships and conduct of the characters. This unpitying probe into the misery of communist Czechoslovakia in the 60s gains a timeless importance due to the way in which it captures the setting and the characters. Hynek Bočan, who “destroyed” his promising career a year later by filming the depressing Pasťák (The Borstal, 1968/1990), cast several top actors of the day. Áda is portrayed by Josef Somr, Standa by Pavel Landovský and Joža by Míla Myslíková. Debuting Daniela Kovářová plays the part of Bohunka. Páral appears as a man in a pub wearing glasses. Jiří Menzel, Jiřina Bohdalová and Václav Neckář play themselves as customers in a Chinese restaurant.

Synopsis

The lives of the employees of an Ústí nad Labem chemical plant proceed on well-worn tracks. After ten years of marriage, Áda Vinš gets chicken every Sunday and sex every Saturday from his wife Joža. Every Sunday they also play canasta with Mr and Mrs Nejtr. Áda's subordinate, the thirty-year old foreman Standa, sweats away renovating a little house every day after work. Every Saturday he makes love with his Bohunka and on Sunday he is back building. The working days are all alike too, and the only things that change are the seasons. But one Spring Saturday everything is different. Áda waits by the car for Joža, who is shopping. He is bored and so starts chatting with the pretty Bohunka. The girl accepts his invitation to take her on a trip to the country. Compared with the prosaic Standa, the experienced Áda can offer romantic speeches and manners and Bohunka succumbs to his "charms". The lovers move into a log cabin that Joska Nejtr has lent Áda. Joska himself exploits the situation to comfort the deserted Joža. The unhappy Standa thinks up various traps and tricks to destroy the seducer of his Bohunka, but the affair between Áda and Bohunka is falling apart by itself. The cottage is damp and cold and every day the girl cooks the only dish she knows - goulash with sausages. Áda is glad when Standa takes her away from the cabin. After a while everything is back on its old tramlines. Joža has been given a gold bracelet as a peace-offering. Standa and Bohunka, now married, welcome a visit from another young couple who wants to play canasta.

Film online

Cast

Daniela Kolářová

Bohunka Augustová

Pavel Landovský

Standa Kocián, Bohunčin snoubenec

Josef Somr

Áda Vinš, Standův nadřízený

Míla Myslíková

Joža, Vinšova žena

Josef Chvalina

Joska Nejtr, Ádův podřízený

Eva Geislerová

Ida, Nejtrova žena

Evelyna Steimarová

Inka, Bohunčina spolubydlící

Soňa Šimberová

Standova matka

Adolf Minský

Standův otec

Hana Kreihanslová

sekretářka

Jaroslav Satoranský

Miran, Inčin snoubenec

Vladimír Ptáček

hostinský na venkově

Václav Kotva

bezpečák

Václav Lohniský

opilec v hospodě

Jan Cmíral

vrchní v kavárně

Ivan Vyskočil

Idin mladík

Štěpánka Řeháková

host v čínské restauraci

Jiří Sýkora

vrchní v intelektuálské kavárně

Jiří Menzel

on sám, host čínské restaurace

Jiřina Bohdalová

ona sama, host čínské restaurace

Václav Neckář

on sám, host čínské restaurace

Jan Diviš

muž podobný Vinšovi

Marie Hübschová

žena podobná Jože

Ivan Kraus

vrchní

Zdeněk Kutil

opilec před hospodou

Zdena Stružková

prodavačka

Vladimír Páral

brýlatý muž v hospodě

Luděk Sobota

voják na ulici

Crew and creators

Director

Hynek Bočan

Second Unit Director

Josef Krameš

Assistant Director

Karel Brchel

Based on

Vladimír Páral (Soukromá vichřice – novela)

Shooting Script

Hynek Bočan

Director of Photography

Jan Němeček

Second Unit Photography

Karel Hejsek

Camera Operator

Pavel Nečesal

Production Designer

Oldřich Bosák

Assistent Production Designer

Bohumil Nový

Set Designer

Viktor Fixl, Emanuel Dvořáček, Eva Slívová

Costume Designer

Olga Dimitrovová

Film Editor

Zdeněk Stehlík

Sound Designer

Emil Poledník

Production Manager

Josef Císař

Unit Production Manager

Josef Hudlička, Jiří Beránek

Unit Production Manager

Ctibor Jeřábek

Cooperation

Hana Nývltová (klapka), Josef Janoušek (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Šust

Selected Music

Bedřich Smetana (Prodaná nevěsta /sbor Proč bychom se netěšili/ – opera)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Songs

Lékořice

Song Composer Jaromír Vomáčka
Writer of Lyrics Vratislav Blažek
Singer Václav Neckář

Škoda lásky

Song Composer Jaromír Vejvoda

Dobrú noc, má milá, dobrú noc

Singer Josef SomrPavel Landovský

Production info

Original Title

Soukromá vichřice

Czech Title

Soukromá vichřice

English Title

Private Gale

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1967

Production Year

1967

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 12 October 1966
technical Screenplay approved 2 January 1967
start of filming 15 January 1967
end of filming 4 July 1967
projection approval 3 October 1967
withdrawal from distribution 6 April 1973

Premiere

premiere 22 December 1967 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Sevastopol /2 týdny/, Jalta /2 týdny od 19. 1. 1968/ a Metro /2 týdny od 19. 1. 1968/, Praha)
premiere 22 December 1967 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Šebor – Bor, Vladimír Bor (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jiří Šebor (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

95 min

Original length in metres

2 701 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Peněžitá odměna za film v rámci hodnocení produkce Filmového studia Barrandov v roce 1967

1968
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Hynek Bočan

Vítěz

Event: Ceny Trilobit 1967

1968
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Josef Somr

Vítěz

Event: Peněžitá odměna za film v rámci hodnocení produkce Filmového studia Barrandov v roce 1967

1968
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Věra Kalábová