Oil Lamps
Category
filmGenre
drama, psychologicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Petrolejové lampyCzech title
Petrolejové lampyEnglish title
Oil LampsSummary
Czech filmmakers have several times been galvanised by the writings of Jaroslav Havlíček. The result in most cases was a film that merged the quality of the literary template and the personality of the particular filmmaker, whether it be Barbora Hlavsová (1942) directed by Martin Frič, Prokletí domu Hajnů (The Curse of the Hajns’ House, 1988) directed by Jiří Svoboda, or Jaromil Jireš’s Helimadoe (1992). However, the most famous adaptation of a Havlíček novel is the psychological drama Petrolejové lampy (Oil Lamps). The film is based on an eponymous novel first published in 1935 as Vyprahlé touhy (Parched Desires) and released again in 1944 following revisions and a change of title. The motion picture was made in 1971 according to a screenplay from Lubor Dohnal, Václav Šašek and Juraj Herz, the last of whom also directed the film. The director, who achieved fame in the 1960s with his excellent drama Spalovač mrtvol (The Cremator, 1968), made Petrolejové lampy into an expressive account of unfulfilled female desires. The main protagonist of the film, set in the early 20th century, is wealthy thirtysomething Štěpa Kiliánová, whose liberalism makes it difficult for her to find a suitor among her social circles in a small town. She ends up marrying her worldly cousin Pavel for whom she harbours a naïve admiration despite knowing that he is merely interested in the dowry. It is only after the wedding that Štěpa finds out that her husband suffers from syphilis. She’s now not only unable to have children, she’s also to suffer her husband’s physical and mental decline… The role of Štěpa was delivered by Iva Janžurová, 30 at the time, in one of her stand-out performances. Janžurová also starred in the main double role in Herz’s romantic drama Morgiana (1972). The actress found a worthy counterpart in Petr Čepek who performed Pavel as an impressive study of the devastation of a conquering, elegant manhood. In 2006, Herz directed a theatrical performance of Petrolejové lampy on the stage of Prague theatre Na Jezerce with Bára Hrzánová and Radek Holub in the two leading roles. In 2013, Radim Špaček and David Jařab recorded a theatrical performance of Petrolejové lampy, which Jařab staged with the Prague Chamber Theatre. The stars on this occasion were Karel Roden and Ivana Uhlířová.
Synopsis
As the only daughter of rich parents, in her mother's view thirty-year-old Miss Štěpa Kiliánová cannot be allowed to marry beneath her social station. But for small-town suitors the girl is too free-thinking and independent, for at the beginning of the 20th century absolute obedience to a husband is expected of wives. Štěpa wants to have children and marries her cousin Pavel, even though she knows that his main motive is her dowry, which will save his declining family estate. Only recently he was still an officer in Vienna, and greatly charmed Štěpa in his uniform. After the wedding there is no intimate harmony. The inexperienced woman gradually discovers that during his riotous earlier life he contracted syphilis and the untreated illness is beginning to change him. She buys him a rifle and a hunting forest, but soon the man is endangering the whole neighbourhood with his shooting. Progressive paralysis affects his gait and his intelligence. Štěpa angrily rejects the advances of the good-looking Jiří, whom Pavel has invited to the estate for her sake. After a while the now almost demented Pavel becomes the butt of ridicule on his promenades and finally ends up in a lunatic asylum. Sad Štěpa returns by train from visiting him. She does not know that the girl travelling with her in the compartment is Pavel's illegitimate daughter. Following the death of her mother she was supposed to be handed over to her father, but Pavel's brother Jan told the nun who was taking the little girl to the estate that Pavel was dead. Brother-in-law Jan plans to marry the future young widow and have his own children with her.
Photos
Cast
Iva Janžurová
Štěpa Kiliánová
Petr Čepek
poručík Pavel Malina
Marie Rosůlková
Kiliánová, matka Štěpy
Ota Sklenčka
stavitel Kilián, otec Štěpy
Vladimír Jedenáctík
Malina, Pavlův otec
Karel Chromík
Dubbing Josef Somr
Jan Malina, Pavlův bratr
Jana Plichtová
děvečka Manka
Karel Černoch
Dubbing Jaroslav Satoranský
Synáček, Štěpin přítel
Josef Laufer
Xaver, Štěpin přítel
Stanislav Remunda
berní Groman
Jan Schánilec
důstojník Jiří, Pavlův přítel
Josef Červinka
Dubbing Jaroslav Satoranský
dr. Hilmar
Míla Myslíková
Hilmarová
Václav Halama
kočí Hans
Václav Štekl
dirigent Mourek
Marie Motlová
jeptiška
Vlastimila Vlková
hospodyně Balcarová
Karel Augusta
lékař-psychiatr
Václav Vondráček
skákavý Machoň
Jana Sedlmajerová
Eliška Blodková
Marie Černá (2)
Marie
Marie Hübschová
Eliščina matka
JUDr. Jaroslav Blažek
radní Trakl
Evelyna Steimarová
služka Karla
Miloslav Šindler
sládek Hons
Dušan Urgošík
kluk
Ilona Jirotková
Helena
Marian Cingroš
regenschori
Jan Kotva
Rudolf
Zdeněk Grygárek
redaktor Kubát
Milena Kaplická
Kubátová
Josef Burda
měšťan
Karel Hovorka
měšťan
Miloslav Štibich
měšťan
Jiřina Jandová
Bergerová
Otto Ohnesorg
farář
Vít Pešina
František
Olga Przygrodská
Libuše
Josef Skrčený
bezzubý Fricek
Miloslav Novák
Herajn
Josef Vlček (2)
kostelník
Jan Vlček
hostinský
Růžena Vlčková
Mlezivová
Václav Vodák
purkmistr
Vladimír Zoubek
švec Bláha
Margit Harníčková
Slavíková
J. Havlíková
Poláková
Gabriela Ryzcová ml.
Blanka
Ladislav Mrázek
vedoucí orchestru
Antonín Kühnel
hudebník
Jiří Stehlík
hudebník
Jar. Drážďanský
hudebník
G. Freiman
hudebník
F. Janák
hudebník
Robert Kühnel
hudebník
V. Řezníček
hudebník
Milan Sivek
hudebník
Jar. Šmatlák
hudebník
Jaroslava Bauerová
Vlastimil Čáp
Marie Čápová
Dagmar Dobrovodská
Věra Dvořáková (2)
Růžena Ferencová
Magda Hanzlíková
František Havel (2)
Jan Herodes
kluk
Olga Hnátková
Josef Hrbek
Vl. Kalčíková
Vincenc Koblitz
Isabela Koblitzová
Josef Kočí
Petra Kodýmová
Jan Kolaja
Ladislav Kouklík
Olga Kutálková
Světlana Marinovová
Jiřina Maturová
Jiřina Merhautová
Aleš Plhoň
Antonín Pohořelý
Magda Prokůpková
Ota Růžička
Gabriela Ryzcová
Libuše Slabihoudková
Antonín Slovák
Dáša Svobodová
Věra Ševčíková
František Šmíd
Magdalena Šmídová
Božena Šnajdrová
Naďa Trifkovičová
Ludmila Večeřová
Ladislava Veselá
Miloš Větvička
Marie Všetečková
Josef Zejda
Františka Zemanová
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Script Supervisor
Based on
Jaroslav Havlíček (Petrolejové lampy – román)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Script Editor
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Jozef Müller
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Ivan Ernyei, Ivo Černý, Rudolf Herz, Jiří Rulík
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
František Černý, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Václav Havlík, Karel Škop
Unit Production Manager
Jan Rath
Cooperation
Ludmila Hergottová (klapka), Antonín Heřman (vrchní osvětlovač), Karel Ješátko (fotograf), Miloslav Vojslavský
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
Perspektiva /Má milá, rozmilá, neplakej/
Writer of Lyrics František Gellner
Singer Josef LaufersborIva JanžurováMarie Rosůlková
Vlak do nádraží zvolna vjel
Writer of Lyrics František Gellner
Singer sbor
Konečně je to možná věc...
Writer of Lyrics František Gellner
Singer Karel Černoch
Píseň zhýralého jinocha /Nezahynu od práce/
Writer of Lyrics František Gellner
Singer Petr Čepek
Dáma a oficír /Já žasnu, jak jste ztepilá/
Singer Josef LauferKarel Černoch
Production info
Original Title
Petrolejové lampy
Czech Title
Petrolejové lampy
English Title
Oil Lamps
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama, psychological
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1971
Production Year
1970—1971
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 8 June 1970
technical Screenplay approved 24 August 1970
start of filming 11 September 1970
end of filming 11 February 1971
projection approval 24 May 1971
Premiere
festival premiere 8 October 1971 (22. filmový festival pracujících – podzim ´71)
premiere 5 November 1971 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 11 November 1971 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Sevastopol, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Karla Copa, Karel Cop (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Výrobní skupina Ladislava Novotného, Ladislav Novotný (vedoucí výrobní skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
101 min
Original length in metres
2 835 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Nominace
Festival: 25. mezinárodní filmový festival Cannes
1972
Cannes / France
Vítěz
Festival: 22. filmový festival pracujících – podzim ´71
1971
107 měst / Czechoslovakia
