In between making the Slunce, seno… (Sun, Straw...) trilogy, director Zdeněk Troška found time to bring to the big screen a historical drama very different in tone from his zany provincial comedies. Adapted from a 1930 novel by Alois Jirásek, Poklad hraběte Chamaré (The Treasure of Count Chamaré) is a stylised drama, set at the end of the 18th century, which tells the story of a conflict between conservative ideology and an emerging more progressive view of the world. New doctor Kamenický arrives at the manor house of invalid Countess Chamaré and immediately becomes entangled in a series of local problems. The countess’s husband is obsessed with tracking down some missing treasure, while a fanatical Jesuit hunts for the secret members of the “United Czech Brotherhood”. This successfully mounted production sees Blanka Bohdanová in the role of the countess, Eduard Cupák as the abbé, and Petr Svoboda as Kamenický. Countrywoman Fantina is played by a soon-to-be beloved star of Zdeněk Troška, namely Michaela Kuklová.
The paralysed countess Marie Karolina Chamaré spends her forlorn life in a wheelchair. Her husband has no affection for her any more, preferring to spend most of his time exploring the underground corridors of his castle in search of treasure. The countess's new physician, a young man named Kamenický, saves the life of the Czech Brethrens' emigree Václav Horák on the way to the castle. One of those living at the castle is a former Jesuit - a fanatical abbé who snoops on the villagers in order to reveal the secret members of the Unity of Brethren. He is especially after the old Bartodějský and his beautiful granddaughter Frantina, following her with the help of the old woman villager Celerka and her son Tomá who was rejected by the girl. Doctor Kamenický succeeds in breathing some life into the countess, making her eventually abandon her black attire and better appear with a smile on her face and clad in a beautiful dress at a birthday celebration. Everybody including the count is mesmerized by her beauty. Chamaré invites Renáta, the countess's foster daughter who he fancies, to participate in the treasure discovery. He sets off an explosive charge in a cellar, but an underground river bursts in as a result. Everybody present drowns except Renáta, who is rescued by Kamenický. The abbé finally discovers the "heretical" books and sends Bartodějský and Horák to prison, the latter of whom used to visit the village in order to date his beloved Frantina. Kamenický prepares their escape but Bartodějský refuses to leave at the last moment. Frantina runs for him but she is shot dead by Tomá Celer. Horák runs away through the morass and Tomá, pursuing him, drowns. Kamenický leaves with Renáta with whom he has fallen in love. The countess is left alone. Several months later, on October 13, 1781, Emperor Joseph II issues the religious Toleration Act, thus introducing religious freedom to the country.
hraběnka Marie Karolina Chamaré
abbé
hrabě Chamaré
vídeňský lékař MUDr. Kamenický
Renáta, hraběnčina schovanka
Frantina
Tomáš Celer
vdova Celerka, Tomášova matka
Bartodějský, dědeček Frantiny
českobratrský emigrant Václav Horák
komorná Alžběta
sluha Jan
dragoun
stará hraběnka, matka Marie
sluha Kryštof
služka Žanetka
sluha Giovanni
střelmistr
správce
štolba
vozka
písař
mladý podkoní
veterán
mladý dělník
dělník
dělník
dělník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hlas Renáty
hlas Bartodějský
Petr Slabý, Helena Kadlecová
Alois Jirásek (Poklad – novela)
Karel Karas, Karel Kočí, Petr Matouš, Petr Průša, Richard Staněk
Rudolf Mos, Vladimír Tišer
Přemysl Čermák, Rudolf Mráz
dr. Pavel Trpák
Renata Čihulková, Helena Lehovcová, Zdeněk Maur, Petr Chmelík, Alena Červená, Zdeněk Vávra
Mario Klemens (FISYO), Miroslav Košler (Pěvecký sbor Čs. rozhlasu)
Plaisir d'Amour
Jean Paul Egide Martini (Plaisir d'Amour)
Jean Pierre Claris de Florian (Plaisir d'Amour)
Blanka Bohdanová (Plaisir d'Amour)
Poklad hraběte Chamaré
The Treasure of Count Chamaré
Poklad
film
feature
drama, historical
Czechoslovakia
1984
1984
1 October 1985
long
78 min
Czech
Festival: 20. filmový festival mladých Trutnov
1986
Trutnov / Czechoslovakia
Jaroslav Brabec