The Brave Blacksmith

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1983

Production year

1983

Premiere

1 September 1984

Runtime

80 min

Director

Petr Švéda

Category

film

Genre

fairytale

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

O statečném kováři

Czech title

O statečném kováři

English title

The Brave Blacksmith

Summary

The lone film from director Petr Švéda, this romantic fairytale is inspired by a story from children’s author Božena Němcová. The fantastical tale, produced by Gottwaldov Film Studios (today Zlín), sees our young hero – the blacksmith Mikeš – setting out to try his luck in the world alongside miller’s assistant Matěj and stable boy Ondra. En route, they learn of three missing princesses, and decide to track them down. The trio also encounters a wicked elf-hag, but a simple old well is what places the greatest strain on their budding friendships. The role of brave young Mikeš sees Pavel Kříž make his debut. Unlike the main star, fellow travellers Ján Kroner Jr. and Jiří Knot did not manage to mine this “poetic” film to land further significant roles. Also of note is a performance by Petr Čepek in the role of the Black King.

Synopsis

Mikeš apprenticed as a blacksmith with his father and he sets off to spend his year of apprenticeship. On the way, he is joined by the miller's helper Matěj and a groom Ondra who do not like their work. In a pub in one kingdom, they learn that the king's three daughters have disappeared. Mikeš convinces his companions to search for the princesses. Time passes and the village boys still cannot find the girls. One day, they arrive at a mysterious house where the table is set for three. They eat and soon fall asleep. The next day, Mikeš and Jindra leave to get some food and Matěj is supposed to cook potato puree in the meantime. But he gets fooled by a hobgoblin who eats all the puree and does not give him anything in exchange. The same happens to Ondra the next day. Only Mikeš succeeds in duping the hobgoblin - he pulls a piece off his beard and the goblin turns into an ugly old witch. The witch reveals to him that the princesses were kidnapped by the Black King. There is the only way leading to his kingdom - through the black well. Mikeš liberates two princesses but the youngest one is not among them. Mikeš sends the girls up the well in a bucket; he himself, however, wants to test his companions on the witch's advice. The test brings him disappointment - Matěj and Ondra assume that the loaded bucket which they are pulling up in fact contains Mikeš, and they deliberately drop it. Then they set off with the princesses to the castle and claim to their father that they are actually the saviours. Mikeš finds out that the witch is the cursed third princess. He challenges the Black King to a fight and wins. He returns to the castle, discloses his treacherous friends and marries the youngest princess. But he does not get out of his smithy. He lives happily with his wife and his young son Mikšík in the father's forge and reigns at the castle only when it is necessary.

Note

In the beginning, the film was directed by Zdeněk Zydroň but he was replaced by Petr Švéda.

Cast

Pavel Kříž

kovář Mikeš

Ján Kroner

Voice by Svatopluk Skopal
silák Ondřej

Jiří Knot

mlynářský pomocník Matěj

Vlado Müller

kovář, Mikešův otec

Viliam Polónyi

Voice by Václav Stýblo
Jakub, kovářův pomocník

Petr Čepek

Černý král

Martina Gasparovičová

princezna, zakletá jako babizna

Jana Tomšů

tmavovlasá princezna

Taťána Čechovská

plavovlasá princezna

Oldřich Velen

hospodský

Magda Reifová

služka s culíky

Jiří Klenot

zbrojnoš

Karel Koubek

Černý jezdec

Jiří Guryča

Mikeš jako malý

Martin Švéda

Mikeš jako nejmladší

Pavel Nášel

zbrojnoš

Jaroslav Vlk

zbrojnoš

Miloš Vosmanský

chalupář-pocestný

Václav Kotva

hráč na citeru

Ivan Pohanka

hudebník

Petr Surý

hudebník

Alfons Jelínek

hudebník

Jan Bursík

hudebník

Bohumír Strnad

hudebník

Ivana Fišerová (2)

dvorní tanečnice

Boris Hanák

dvorní tanečník

Roman Nevěčný

dvorní tanečník

Pavel Prokeš

dvorní tanečník

Sonja Raabová

dvorní tanečnice

Karel Riegel

dvorní tanečník

Hana Solaříková

dvorní tanečnice

Irena Visnarová

dvorní tanečnice

Jaroslav Kaiser (3)

artista

Natalie Kaiserová

artistka

Josef Kočka

artista

Antonín Navrátil (4)

artista

Hynek Navrátil

artista

Julius Kessner

hráč na flautu

Jiří Košík

hráč na historické hudební nástroje

Danuše Košíková

hráčka na historické hudební nástroje

Ondřej Vetchý

dubl za Pavla Kříže

Crew and creators

Director

Petr Švéda

Second Unit Director

Ivan Frič

Assistant Director

Pavel Nášel, Věra Dvořáková, Regina Koštuříková

Based on

Božena Němcová (Neohrožený Mikeš – pohádka)

Dramaturg

Milan Šimek

Director of Photography

Jiří Kolín

Second Unit Photography

Vladimír Kolář

Camera Operator

Dalibor Michalčík

Production Designer

Zdeněk Rozkopal

Assistent Production Designer

Josef Havlíček, Petr Smola

Art Director

Ester Krumbachová

Set Designer

Ivo Formánek, Jiří Plášil, Milan Rabas, Ignác Samohýl, David Pikhart

Costume Designer

Šárka Hejnová

Assistant Film Editor

Vlasta Malotová, Marie Vrlová

Sound Designer

Radomír Koutek

Assistant Sound Designer

Ladislav Procházka, Zdeněk Skaunic

Special Effects

Jiří Kolín, Igor Farbák

Special Effects

Irena Bergerová (pyrotechnička)

Production Manager

Vojtěch Kunčík

Unit Production Manager

Věra Kopecká, Marie Šenkeříková, Lenka Vlčková

Cooperation

Renata Gondová (klapka), Otto Kamenský (fotograf), Michal Katerinjuk, Krajské středisko státní památkové péče a ochrany přírody v Brně

Music

Music Composed by

Petr Ulrych

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens)

Choreographer

Danuše Hájková

Songs

O statečném kováři

Song Composer Petr Ulrych
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Petr UlrychHana Ulrychová

Production info

Original Title

O statečném kováři

Czech Title

O statečném kováři

English Title

The Brave Blacksmith

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

fairytale

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1983

Production Year

1983

Production specifications

withdrawal from distribution 14 July 1995

Premiere

premiere 1 September 1984 /suitable for youths/

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

80 min

Original length in metres

2 274 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Čestný titul Film s nejvyšší technickou kvalitou roku 1984

1985
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 7. mezinárodní festival dětských filmů Quito

1985
Quito / Ecuador

Vítěz

Festival: 7. mezinárodní festival dětských filmů Quito

1985
Quito / Ecuador

Vítěz

Festival: 22. mezinárodní festival filmů pro děti a mládež Gijón

1984
Gijón / Spain

Vítěz

Festival: 14. mezinárodní festival dětských filmů Chicago

1984
Chicago / United States of America