The Song about a Tree and a Rose
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1978Production year
1978Premiere
24 April 1979Runtime
87 minDirector
Ladislav RychmanCategory
filmGenre
socialTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Píseň o stromu a růžiCzech title
Píseň o stromu a růžiEnglish title
The Song about a Tree and a RoseSummary
Close ties between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union are reflected in this ideologically coloured romantic drama that follows a Soviet engineer on his trip to Prague to assist local colleagues in the construction of metro tunnels. The top-tier expert, Vladimir Kuznetsov, had last been in the city 30 years earlier as a Red Army soldier – a liberator. Though seriously wounded, he had also had a passionate wartime love affair with a Czech teacher named Věra. The likeable Russian is accompanied on his walks though the city (and down memory lane) by Lenka, a Metrostav secretary… In the lead role of this 1978 film directed by Ladislav Rychman was the popular Soviet actor Vyacheslav Tikhonov, known for the film Májové hvězdy (May Stars, 1959), the mini-series Vojna a mír (War and Peace, 1965–7) and the TV series Sedmnáct zastavení jara (Seventeen Moments of Spring, 1976). Jelena Šebestová plays Lenka and Jaroslava Schallerová performs the role of Věra.
Synopsis
Soviet engineer Kuzněcov is coming to Prague as an expert on work with the tunnelling shield in construction of the metro. He is returning after more than thirty years. In May 1945 as a young soldier in the Red Army he was seriously injured in the liberation of Prague and while recovering experienced a great love with a young teacher called Věra. His lodgings and leisure programme are to be arranged for him by Lenka, a young and vivacious secretary from the Metrostav concern. She isn't very keen on the assignment, because she had been looking forward to a very promising date in the evening. Her friend Tom is a tunneller for the metro and a member of a music band, and he had invited her to its premiere concert. Lenka takes her guest with her to the club, but Tom refuses to listen to her explanations and is jealous of the "old man". The girl soon comes to like the clever and sympathetic engineer and goes with him to visit the hospital where he convalesced all those years ago. She also finds his old friend Kovář, whose life was saved by Kuzněcov in a fight at Klárov in Prague. Problems arise in the drilling of a tunnel under the River Vltava. The tunnelling shield gets stuck in the difficult terrain and an auxiliary tunnel has to be drilled. Tom takes a risk when he himself finally manages to remove the blockage. Kuzněcov praises his work, everything is now explained, and the two men now have great respect for each other. Lenka is unsuccessfully looking for Věra. The house where she lived is demolished because of the metro. A week goes by and Kuzněcov is about to go home. On Petřín Hill Lenka declares her feelings for him. He tactfully refuses her with a proverb - Do not pin a rose to an old tree.
Photos
Cast
Vjačeslav Tichonov
inženýr Vladimir Kuzněcov
Jelena Šebestová
sekretářka Jelena zvaná Lenka a Vanilka
Václav Mareš
inženýr Fanta
Ivan Richter
razič Tom
Jan Kuželka
razič Jarda
Jaroslava Schallerová
učitelka Věra Havlová
Petr Hanus
Kuzněcov jako mladý voják
Josef Mixa
Kovář
Zora Jiráková
Kovářova žena
Věra Tichánková
Majka Bártová, zdravotní sestra v důchodu
Věra Galatíková
listonoška
Pavel Rubeš
recepční
Pavel Spálený
školník
Jiřina Krejčíková
zdravotní sestra Zuzana
Arnošt Faltýnek
pacient
Karel Chromík
výtahář Málek
Ladislav Trojan
vedoucí pracovník Metrostavu
Bohumil Křížek
vedoucí pracovník Metrostavu
Josef Klatovský
vedoucí pracovník Metrostavu
Roman Hemala
technik
Ladislav Žid
technik
L. Hodina
Tomův pomocník
Jiří Sova
Tomův pomocník
Jiří Wohanka
Tomův pomocník
Miroslav Walter
ženich
Jaroslava Janovová
nevěsta, dcera Kovářových
Pavel Jiras
reportér
P. Hodan
reportér
V. A. Kosareckij
sovětský technik
G. J. Ozarianskij
sovětský technik
Pavel Lehotský
novinář
Milan Pěkný
novinář
Jan Okrouhlík
novinář
J. Sýbek
novinář
Petr Svárovský
mechanik štítu
Miloslav Šindler
mechanik štítu/nabíječ
L. Fischer
hudebník
Vladimír Klusák
hudebník
Jaroslav Konečný (hudebník)
hudebník
J. Litoš
hudebník
J. Šťastný
hudebník
P. Váchal
hudebník
Jindra Janoušková
mladá žena
Svatava Hubeňáková
starší žena
N. Alpjejeva
barikádnice
J. Jančíková
barikádnice
Helena Pokorná
barikádnice
E. Plšková
Blanka
I. J. Starodubcev
sovětský poradce
Karel Engel
ozbrojený civilista
Jiří Fajt
ozbrojený civilista
Ladislav Lahoda
ozbrojený civilista
Pavel Vaněk
ozbrojený civilista
M. Coufalová
dívka
O. Štuková-Králová
dívka
Jaroslav Klenot
sovětský samopalník
Jiří Klenot
sovětský samopalník
Jiří Kalenský
sovětský samopalník
Jaroslav Tomsa
sovětský samopalník
Stanislav Benda
příslušník SS
Zdeněk Srstka
příslušník SS
Jiří Srstka
příslušník SS
J. Vacek
příslušník SS
Ludvík Wolf
velitel SS
Karel Vítek
řidič tanku
Karel Vítek ml.
velitel děla
Jiří Kraus
kulometčík SS
Roman Marek
mladý řidič tanku
Jaroslav Vlk
barikádník
Jiří Vach
dubl za Vjačeslava Tichonova
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Vladimír Ježek, Jiří Pavlásek, Ladislav Winkelhöfer
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Tomáš Baloun, Vlasta Synkulová
Unit Production Manager
Miloš Zajdl
Consultant
Ing. Karel Matzner, Ing. Ladislav Kroft
Cooperation
Irena Neubertová (klapka), Karel Ješátko (fotograf), Metrostav n. p.
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Jiří Malásek, FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Music Advisor
Songs
Večery pod Moskvou
Song Composer Vasilij Solovjev-Sedoj
Poljuško pole
Song Composer lidová ruská píseň
Production info
Original Title
Píseň o stromu a růži
Czech Title
Píseň o stromu a růži
English Title
The Song about a Tree and a Rose
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
social
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1978
Production Year
1978
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 31 October 1977
start of filming 10 February 1978
technical Screenplay approved 14 March 1978
end of filming 13 October 1978
projection approval 18 October 1978
Premiere
premiere 24 April 1979 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
87 min
Original length in metres
2 425 meters
Distribution carrier
35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech, Russian
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 17. festival českých a slovenských filmů Hradec Králové
1979
Hradec Králové / Czechoslovakia
Jiří Bažant
Vítěz
Festival: 17. festival českých a slovenských filmů Hradec Králové
1979
Hradec Králové / Czechoslovakia
Jiří Malásek
