Spring Waters

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1968

Production year

1967

Premiere

30 August 1968

Runtime

90 min

Category

film

Genre

melodrama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Jarní vody

Czech title

Jarní vody

English title

Spring Waters

Summary

Vít Olmer was confirmed as a contemporary romantic idol with this adaptation of Russian novelist and playwright Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev's 1871 novel Spring Torrents. Playing the youth Dimitri P. Sanin, who due to his foolish ambitions squanders a relationship with a loving girl, the popular actor displays far more than his natural charisma. His style amounts to the releasing of a dramatic intelligence. But Olmer did not enjoy his position as an adored idol and Sanin turned out to be his last big romantic role. Jarní vody (Spring waters, 1968) is also the last piece of work from classic director Václav Krška. Working with the cinematography of Josef Illík, Krška is able to create a convincing atmosphere of an old Russia, seen through the nostalgic view of the aged hero. In this forgotten film, which premiered in cinemas on 30 August 1968, a “Miss Slovakia” beauty contest winner, Alžběta Štrkuľová, plays the tender Gemma. Květa Fialová took on the role of worldly-wise seducer Polozovová.

Synopsis

An ageing lonesome man, Dimitri Pavlovich Sanin, holds a celebration at his manor. He leaves for his study and the iron ring which he finds in his table returns him in his memories forty years back to when he was a handsome twenty-four-year old young man. At that time, he was returning from Italy to Russia. He planned to spend just one night in a small Austrian town but accidentally wandered into an Italian sweetshop where he was asked for help by a scared girl. Sanin managed to awaken her small brother from unconsciousness. The beautiful and grateful Gemma, daughter of the sweetshop's owner, invited him for dinner. Contrary to his plans, Sanin stayed several days. Unlike Gemma's fiancé, the businessman Klüber, he took up her part against an impertinent officer and even agreed to a duel. The officer apologized and Gemma split up with her uptight groom. The romantic relationship between Gemma and Sanin gradually turned to love. Sanin asked for Gemma's hand, decided to sell his manor back in Russia and invest in the sweetshop. His fellow-citizen Polozov introduced him to his charming wife, who was interested in buying the manor. In a short time, Sanin became one of the lovers of the hedonist Marya Polozovova and said good bye to Gemma in a letter. Marya gave him an iron ring as a commemoration. - Sanin rouses from his memories. He never found love again and now only bitterly waits for death.

Cast

Vít Olmer

Dimitrij Pavlovič Sanin

Alžbeta Štrkuľová

Voice by Gabriela Vránová
Gemma Roselliová

Květa Fialová

Marja Nikolajevna Polozovová

Marie Glázrová

Lenora Roselliová, matka Gemmy

Vladimír Krška

Hyppolit Sidoryč Polozov, Marjin muž

Josef Kemr

Pantaleone Cippatola, domácí přítel

Luděk Munzar

obchodník Karl Klüber, snoubenec Gemmy

Pavel Zejfart

Emilio Roselli, Gemmin mladší brat

Jan Schánilec

baron Kristian von Dönhof

Karel Hábl

von Rychter

Tomáš Sedláček

poručík von Stahl

Jarmila Kronbauerová

hraběnka Despraunová

Olga Jungová

Arabella Agoutová

Rudolf Horák

Manfred von Callas

Klaudie Ferbrová

hospodyně Luisa

Jan Kotva

hotelový sluha

Zbyšek Olšovský

sluha Charles

Ela Šilarová

dáma v dostavníku

Josef Zeman

důstojník Callaniat

Ivan Procházka

de Vincente

Zuzana Šavrdová

služka Lény

Aleš Svítek

poslíček

Jiří Cimický

majordomus

Josef Čáp

krásný brunet na plese

Jiří Mocek

Milada Henychová

dáma na koni

Lenka Jiráčková

tanečnice

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Jaroslav Beránek

Assistant Director

Vilém Henzel

Screenstory

Vojtěch Jasný

Based on

Ivan Sergejevič Turgeněv (Jarní vody /Vešnije vody/ – novela)

Screenplay

Václav Krška

Director of Photography

Josef Illík

Second Unit Photography

Adolf Hejzlar

Production Designer

Jan Zázvorka

Set Designer

Jan Petrů

Costume Designer

Fernand Vácha

Make-Up Artist

Vladimír Černý

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Sound Designer

Blažej Bernard

Production Manager

Václav Rouha

Unit Production Manager

Zdeňka Černá, Ladislav Dražan

Unit Production Manager

Karel Čabrádek

Cooperation

Marie Zahradníková (klapka), Miroslav Pešan (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jarmil Burghauser

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Choreographer

Viktor Malcev

Production info

Original Title

Jarní vody

Czech Title

Jarní vody

English Title

Spring Waters

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

melodrama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1968

Production Year

1967

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 24 March 1966
technical Screenplay approved 5 July 1967
start of filming 20 July 1967
end of filming 19 October 1967
the first film copy approved 8 March 1968
projection approval 15 March 1968
withdrawal from distribution 30 September 1976

Premiere

premiere 30 August 1968 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 5 September 1968 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Alfa /1 týden/, Klub /1 týden od 19. 9./, Městská knihovna /2 týdny od 19. 9./ a Blaník /2 týdny od 3. 10./, Praha)

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Novotný – Kubala, Bedřich Kubala (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Ladislav Novotný (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

90 min

Original length in metres

2 548 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66, 1:2,35

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: 1. mezinárodní filmový festival Phnompenh

1968
Phnompenh / Cambodia
Josef Illík

Vítěz

Festival: 19. filmový festival pracujících – léto '68

1968
35 měst / Czechoslovakia