The Green Years

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1985

Production year

1984—1985

Premiere

1 April 1986

Runtime

88 min

Director

Milan Muchna

Category

film

Genre

short-story

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Zelená léta

Czech title

Zelená léta

English title

The Green Years

Working title

A teď se s vojáky netančí

Summary

In 1985, Milan Muchna made an anthology film, whose four stories are based on the private lives of Czechoslovak Army soldiers. In the tale Bažant (The Recruit) the seasoned Corporal Kony (Marek Vašut) after bullying a new recruit Luboš finds himself on the receiving end. However, on their way to collect a repaired tank, the two manage to strike up friendship. Brambory (Potatoes) tells the story of school girls whose class goes to do “voluntary” work harvesting potatoes, despite being banned by their strict teacher (Jana Eichlerová) from doing so, they socialise with soldiers also deployed for the harvest. Buchty (Cakes) delves into issues of soldiers in love: Štěpánka decides she prefers Petr over Honza (Martin Dejdar) but later pays a hefty price for her choice. In this third tale, the singer Janek Ledecký played Petr, the only acting role of his career. The composite film closes with a tale called Řešení (Solution) in which an officer from Slovakia (Pavol Višňovský) struggles to bring order to his family life.

Synopsis

1. The recruit: The stager, a corporal nicknamed Kony, has a tense relation with a beginner, private Luboš, and bullies him - blaming him for his own failure during a tank wading, demanding cigarettes from him… But plundering a parcel of food, which Luboš received from home, does not pay off for the stagers because Luboš's experienced uncle "spiced" the sausages with a laxative. Kony appreciates that Luboš does not betray the commander who ordered him to "drive TV waves" at night. The two boys are sent to Slovakia to pick up a repaired army tank. On their way, they stop in Luboš's village in Moravia. The private's girlfriend is just getting married and Kony is of great support to the shocked Luboš. The two eventually befriend. 2. Potatoes: A summer job - a potato harvest - brings together the soldiers and girl students. The girls are headed by their young and strict woman professor who is determined to prevent relationships between the holiday workers at any cost. The chairman of the local cooperative divides the two groups working in the fields at her demand. But they all meet at an evening disco, organized as a reward for their diligence. The troop's commander, sergeant Cyprich, is also young, and thus not only the holiday workers but also their superiors become close to each other. 3. Cakes: The lance corporal named Honza is first visited by his pen-friend Štěpánka after two months of corresponding. The girl goes dancing with Honza to a hotel, but she resolutely rejects spending the night with him. The dancing is accompanied by a band composed of soldiers from Honza's platoon and the girl becomes attracted to its singer Petr who is apparently on bad terms with Honza. When Štěpánka arrives the next time, Honza is serving a minor punishment for breaking discipline and cannot come to the hotel. Petr lures the inexperienced girl to a room and seduces her. He then unscrupulously leaves her and goes to see his girlfriend. The weeping Štěpánka leaves the hotel. 4. Solution: Lieutenant Balco serves in the military in the the Bohemia Forest while his wife Zuzka and their five-year old daughter Katka live in Slovakia. In order to avert the threatening crisis of their relationship, the wife and the daughter move to be with him in Bohemia. Zuzka, however, is not satisfied again - Balco has many duties and no time for the family. After one of their quarrels, the little daughter naively sets off to Germany to request the removal of missiles. If the missiles disappear, mom and dad will stop arguing. The night search for the child is fortunately successful and the young couple reconciles.

Note

The individual stories are intercut by authentic shots from the military drill of the Warsaw Pact armies, held under the title "Shield 84".

Cast

Václav Kopta

vojín Luboš Pokuta

Jana Vychodilová

Lubošova matka

Marek Vašut

desátník Marek zvaný Kony

Dita Kaplanová

Jarmila, Lubošova dívka

Jiří Wohanka

nadporučík Vlna

Michaela Kudláčková

Boženka, sestra Jarmily

Vlastimil Peška

ženich Gregor

Pavel Cajzl

čundrák

Tomáš Engel

čundrák

Václav Král

děda s klobásou

Jana Eichlerová

profesorka Jindřiška Korelusová

Bronislav Černý

četař absolvent Jiří Cyprich

Miroslav Noga

vojín Masarovič

Milan Bahul

vojín Fero

Bronislav Poloczek

předseda JZD

Eliška Sirová

studentka Lenka Koníčková

Jiří Sedláček

vojín Michal

Bohumír Starý

svobodník Šimůnek

Luboš Ocásek

podsaditý voják

Zuzana Hradecká

studentka Hejlová

Michaela Dieterlenová

studentka Mázlová, s kytarou

Markéta Valentová

studentka Zaoralová

Stanislava Krejčíková

studentka Calábková

David Suchařípa

vojín Hulín

Milada Ježková

družstevnice Haluzková

Miloslav Šindler

družstevník

Martin Dejdar

svobodník Honza

Janek Ledecký

vojín Petr, zpěvák

Karel Chromík

podplukovník Chylík, zástupce pro věci politické

Milan Klacek

recepční Novotný

Michal Plachý

voják

Martina Gasparovičová

Jana, Petrova přítelkyně

Jan Černý (2)

hudebník

Václav Kabát

hudebník

Jan Opl

hudebník

Igor Smržík

poručík

Pavol Višňovský

poručík Vlado Balco

Tatiana Kulíšková

Zuzka, Balcova žena

Monika Haasová

Katka, dcerka Balcových

Petr Popelka

major, velitel pluku

Peter Maťo

voják

Ivan Wiesner

Rymbala

Michal Slivka

otec Zuzky

Maja Velšicová

matka Zuzky

Emil Pischel

umělec

Radka Fidlerová

recitátorka-umělkyně

Josef Holec

člen Horské služby

Ladislav Kryško

člen Horské služby

Vladimír Machoň

nejstarší kluk

Martin Roubal

ježatý kluk

Petr Stiegler

ušatý kluk

Josef Pech

učitel u klavíru

Karel Engel

důstojník-dozorčí útvaru

Pavel Lhotský

vojín

Martin Mejzlík

voják

Adolf Kohuth

kapitán Vaněk

Crew and creators

Director

Milan Muchna

Second Unit Director

Jan Prokop

Assistant Director

Tomáš Urban

Continuity

Irena Mimrová

Shooting Script

Milan Muchna

Director of Photography

Josef Hanuš

Second Unit Photography

Rudolf Jokl

Camera Operator

Jan Carda, Vladimír Murat

Production Designer

Miloš Červinka

Assistent Production Designer

Martin Malý

Costume Designer

Vojtěch Kolařík

Film Editor

Dalibor Lipský

Sound Designer

Alexandr Vrbata

Production Manager

Jaroslav Solnička

Unit Production Manager

Milan Štěch, Ludmila Venclíková, Vladimíra Kopecká

Consultant

genpor. Ing. Florián Rigál

Cooperation

Lenka Mojžíšová (klapka), Zdeněk Dukát (fotograf), Stanislav Brožík

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Šust

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Songs

Před našima oknama stojí hruška zelená

Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer sbor

Stroboskop

Song Composer Jiří Vodrážka

Pětadvacet kamarádů

Song Composer Harry Macourek
Writer of Lyrics Hana Čiháková
Singer mužský sbor

Videodisco

Song Composer Petr a Pavel Orm
Writer of Lyrics Petr a Pavel Orm
Singer sbor

Holka v domě

Song Composer Karel Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Eduard Krečmar
Singer Karel Gott

Múzy

Song Composer Petr AckermannDavid KollerJanek LedeckýJan Černý (2)
Writer of Lyrics Žentour
Singer Janek Ledecký

Telefon

Song Composer Žentour
Writer of Lyrics Žentour
Singer Janek Ledecký

Dej si říct

Song Composer Žentour
Writer of Lyrics Žentour
Singer Janek Ledecký

Slovník čistých slov

Song Composer Július Kinček
Writer of Lyrics Peter Nagy
Singer Peter Nagy

Kde jsi

Song Composer Eduard Parma
Writer of Lyrics Michal Bukovič
Singer Jiří Korn

Léta dozrávání

Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer dívčí sbor

U našich kasáren

Song Composer Karel Vacek
Writer of Lyrics Karel Vacek
Singer mužský sbor

Zvonky

Song Composer Aleksander Gurilyov
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Aplt
Singer Jiří Korn

Horo, horo, vysoká jsi

Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer dětský sbor

Production info

Original Title

Zelená léta

Czech Title

Zelená léta

English Title

The Green Years

Working Title

A teď se s vojáky netančí

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

short-story

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1985

Production Year

1984—1985

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 6 June 1984
start of filming 16 July 1984
technical Screenplay approved 26 July 1984
end of filming 12 May 1985
projection approval 3 June 1985

Premiere

premiere 1 April 1986 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Josef Císař (vedoucí 2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

88 min

Original length in metres

2 510 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: Výroční Cena Víta Nejedlého za rok 1986

1986
Praha / Czechoslovakia
tvořivý kolektiv filmu