The Ninth Heart

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1978

Production year

1977—1978

Premiere

13 April 1979

Runtime

88 min

Director

Juraj Herz

Category

film

Genre

fairytale

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Deváté srdce

Czech title

Deváté srdce

English title

The Ninth Heart

Working title

Černý rytíř [literární scénář]

Summary

Among the jewels of the rich store of Czechoslovak fairy tale motion pictures are two stylish undertakings from director Juraj Herz marked by a fondness for classic horror stories: Panna a netvor (The Virgin and the Monster) and Deváté srdce (The Ninth Heart) both from 1978. The two films, with cinematography from cameraman Jiří Macháně and music from composer Petr Hapka, shared a budget and partially drew on the same scenery Vladimír Labský created the sets at Barrandov film studio; in the same year they were also used in the shooting of two other films, namely Tajemství Ocelového města (The Secret of the Steel Town, 1978) and Kočičí princ (Cat Prince, 1978). The story, very much cohering around the sensation of horror, relates the tale of a wandering student who must watch over a beautiful princess who is under the spell of an evil sorcerer longing for eternal life. This is a visually captivating picture that attracts us with its close atmosphere as well as fine performances from Ondřej Pavelka and Julie Jurištová. Juraj Kukura proved a success in the role of elegant wizard Aldobrandini.

Synopsis

An errant student called Martin meets a group of strolling puppeteers and is smitten by the pretty Tončka. At the pub, Martin offers drinks and food for Tončka and other actors from the troupe. Here he learns about the king's troubles with Princess Adriena who spends her days daydreaming and always vanishes without trace at night. Martin has no money to pay the pub bill and is locked up at the castle prison, even though the old man at the pub has given him a magical cloak: whoever wears it becomes invisible. To spare himself from punishment, Martin signs up as the Princess's ninth rescuer. At the castle, the old court jester helps Martin and reveals to him the true cause of Adriena's suffering. The court astrologer Count Aldobrandini is hypnotising the girl in order to achieve power over the whole country. At the astrologer's castle, Martin finds out much more. He overhears what the count tells the Princess after she has awoken from the hypnotic sleep: he has been keeping himself alive for three hundred years thanks to an elixir made out of the hearts of nine people. And Martin's is the ninth heart. The valiant Martin is unafraid. He manages to escape from the count and take the girl with him, finds his way out of the terrifying chamber of time, revives the eight youths and with the help of a pomegranate on a golden chain, a gift from Tončka, they all return to town. Martin is supposed to become the Princess's husband, but the Princess likes the new astrologer better and Martin hurries to his Tončka.

Note

The film was budgeted together with the picture The Virgin and the Monster, and the two films also shared sets. In the studio No. 6 in the Barrandov Studios, architect Labský created a multi-functional set that was further adapted and used for the filming of The Virgin and the Monster, Mystery of the Iron City and Cat Prince.

Film online

Cast

Ondřej Pavelka

student Martin

Anna Maľová

Voice by Lenka Kořínková
loutkářka Tončka

Julie Jurištová

princezna Adriena

Josef Kemr

principál, otec Tončky

Juraj Kukura

hrabě Aldobrandini, dvorní astrolog

Přemysl Kočí

velkovévoda

Růžena Rudnická

Voice by Bohumila Dolejšová
velkovévodkyně

Lubomír Černík

policejní rada

Josef Somr

hejtman gardové stráže

Jan Přeučil

převozník

Augustin Kubán

převozník

Zdeněk Černý

Jozífek

Juraj Herz

hrabě Merlini, nový astrolog

Zeno Dostál

postilion

Miro Grisa

cizí princ

Miroslav Vomela

loutkář

Jan Buršík

mládenec

Pavel Calda

mládenec

Miroslav Hába

mládenec

Petr Herold

mládenec

Vít Hořejš

mládenec

Jiří Pařízek

mládenec

Pavel Toman

mládenec

Petr Wurm

mládenec

Marcela Černačová

tanečnice

Anna Červinková

tanečnice

Alena Dostalíková

tanečnice

Eva Gabajová

tanečnice

Monika Horanová

tanečnice

Věra Kramešová

tanečnice

Monika Lichtágová

tanečnice

Stanislava Martínková

tanečnice

Eva Mikovcová

tanečnice

Dagmar Mikulová

tanečnice

Jaroslava Mládková

tanečnice

Elena Nagyová

tanečnice

Jana Ressnerová

tanečnice

Krista Šorsáková

tanečnice

Vlasta Vindušková

tanečnice

Dagmar Weinlichová

tanečnice

Blanka Žehová

tanečnice

Jiří Chládek

tanečník

Antonín Klepáč

tanečník

Zdeněk Kozlík

tanečník

Jan Kuchař

tanečník

Jiří Melichar

tanečník

Petr Novák (2)

tanečník

František Pokorný

tanečník

Jiří Slezáček

tanečník

Jiří Staněk

tanečník

Oldřich Stodola

tanečník

Walter Syrový

tanečník

František Szepessy

tanečník

Zdeněk Tomeš

tanečník

Jiří Vrzal

tanečník

Miroslav Walter

tanečník

Petr Zenkl

tanečník

Václav Vodák

starý dvořan

Richard Záhorský

starý dvořan

Petr Hapka

dvořan

M. Jandová

dvořanka

Zdeněk Novotný (2)

žonglér

Zdeněk Srstka

zápasník

Eliška Janečková

mladá komediantka

Vilém Janeček

mladý komediant

Dana Novotná

provazochodkyně

Dominik Jung

artista

Karla Jungová

artistka

Jiřina Koucká

komorná

Jana Lewittová

komorná

Ronald Heller

muž s koněm

Vít Pešina

jídlonosič

Kamal El Rasheed

černoch

Awad El Seed

černoch

Musa Ahmed Mansour

černoch

William M. Ncube

černoch

Victoria Anyetei

černoška

Shania Birtukan

černoška

Faith Munemo

černoška

Suzanna Nabarewch

černoška

Nharebath Nancaia

černoška

Fatima Omar

černoška

Christine Catherine Sey

černoška

Petr Drozda

strážný

Petr Fürst

strážný

Josef Hrubý

strážný

Jiří Klenot

strážný

Jindřich Sejk

strážný

J. Simandl

strážný

Václav Štekl

strážný

Stanislav Veselý

strážný

Josef Brázda

hudebník-hráč na loutnu

Ladislav Engler

hudebník

Ivo Laniar

hudebník

Ondřej Lewitt

hudebník-houslista

Václav Slivanský

hudebník-flétnista

Oldřich Smola

hudebník

Josef Šaroun

hudebník

Jan Žižka

hudebník

Michal Křička

hudebník

Boh. Matolín

hudebník

Josef Riedelbauch

hudebník

J. Šidla

hudebník

skupina Gobaro

šermíři

členové souboru Varieté Jung

Crew and creators

Director

Juraj Herz

Second Unit Director

Zeno Dostál

Assistant Director

Kateřina Lukášová

Screenstory

Josef Hanzlík

Shooting Script

Juraj Herz

Director of Photography

Jiří Macháně

Second Unit Photography

Viktor Růžička

Camera Operator

Vojtěch Kuthan

Production Designer

Vladimír Labský

Assistent Production Designer

Michael Poledník

Costume Designer

Irena Greifová

Assistant Film Editor

Anna Mejtská

Sound Designer

František Černý

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

Karel Kochman

Unit Production Manager

Petr Prejda, Věra Lukášová, Petra Havlínová

Unit Production Manager

Jiřina Vaňková

Cooperation

Eliška Moulisová (klapka), Oldřich Křesina (vrchní osvětlovač), Karel Ješátko (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Petr Hapka

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Choreographer

Jaromír Pokorný

Songs

Bláznivá chásko

Song Composer Petr Hapka
Singer Vladimír Jedenáctíksbor

Production info

Original Title

Deváté srdce

Czech Title

Deváté srdce

English Title

The Ninth Heart

Working Title

Černý rytíř [literární scénář]

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

fairytale

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1978

Production Year

1977—1978

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 31 March 1976
start of filming 2 May 1977
technical Screenplay approved 5 July 1977
end of filming 12 July 1978
projection approval 24 July 1978

Premiere

premiere 13 April 1979 /suitable for youths/

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Oty Hofmana, Ota Hofman (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

88 min

Original length in metres

2 472 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

Vítěz

Exhibition: 1. mezinárodní přehlídka fantastických a sci-fi filmů Madrid

1980
Madrid / Spain