Landscape with Furniture

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1986

Production year

1985—1986

Premiere

1 March 1987

Runtime

93 min

Category

film

Genre

social, comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Krajina s nábytkem

Czech title

Krajina s nábytkem

English title

Landscape with Furniture

Summary

In 1986 fledging actor Vladimír Javorský appeared in a brace of films by noteworthy directors – Juraj Herz’s stylised fairy tale Přezůvky štěstí (Galoshes of Fortune) and Karel Smyczk’s casual drama Krajina s nábytkem (Landscape with Furniture). His lead role in Smyczk’s tragicomic picture launched the career of Javorský, then 24. The director had previously specialised in films with younger teen characters. However, in Landscape with Furniture Javorský’s lead character is the carefree 19-year-old Zdeněk, who decides to take responsibility for unplanned fatherhood. A conservatory student who works as a postman during the holidays, he has just found out that Eva, a summer fling, is pregnant. He resolves to adapt to his life to the new role, though this does not alter the fact he is not the father of the irresponsible Eva’s child. Zdeněk decides to look after little Tomášek, utterly transforming his hitherto existence… The story of a naive and idealistic young man who manages to stand on his own feet and ceases to succumb to the manipulation of those around him or his own illusions explores the subject of “single fatherhood”, which in the mid-1980s was seen as unusual and attractive. It was embodied in book form by novelist Zdeněk Rosenbaum, while screenwriter Milan Ležák developed the original into a credible film narrative. Smyczk’s measured direction provides a framework for a high-quality cast in which alongside Javorský Yvetta Kornová shines as the untrustworthy Eva. Kornová had earlier been in the director’s debut Housata (Gosling) (1979), while Michal Suchánek, who played the protagonist’s pal Franta, was among his favourite actors (1980’s Jen si tak trochu písknout [Just to Whistle a Bit] and Sněženky a machři [Snowdrops and Daredevils] from 1982). The academic painter Douda, whose Zdeněk believes has a tragic artistic fate, was portrayed by Petr Čepek. Director Evald Schorm appeared as Vondruška, the protagonist’s professor.

Synopsis

Nineteen year old conservatoire student, Zdeněk, has a summer job in his native village as a postman. He meets the artist, Douda, a new owner of a dilapidated seclusion. He admires his paintings, although these are lonely landscapes without people. The artist offers him a swap: for a landscape and furniture, he wants a rope. Zdeněk likes Alena, a leader from the children's camp, but coincidentally he becomes a one night stand for her quite unattractive friend, Eva. The next day, Zdeněk glimpses a hanged man in the artist's barn. He thinks it is his fault and, in shock, he hides Douda's painting in the attic. After the holiday he comes back to Prague. The piano teacher accepts him to the school orchestra. With his friend Franta, he plays in a jazz club. Once Alena is waiting for him and takes him to Eva, who is pregnant by him. Zdeněk is shamefaced, he does not feel anything for the girl, but he is decent and understands what is expected of him. But Eva refuses to marry him. For the future parents, Franta arranges a place to stay in the former inn, which is to be renovated. The kind Mrs. Brátková, the landlady, helps the couple to furnish the modest household. Eva and Zdeněk grow close and they also experience happy moments of understanding. Once, after Zdeněk returns home, he finds Eva's former bunch at home. After a fight, he throws them out. Sunday evening, with a rucksack full of food from his parents, Zdeněk comes home. He learns from Brátková, that Eva is in the maternal hospital. He is worried about her; she was allegedly in the seventh month. She gives birth to a boy, Tomáš, but the baby is full-term, so it is definitely not Zdeněk's son. The disappointed young man leaves with Franta on a concert tour. When he returns to Eva in the bleak, cold place, he decides to take care of them because of the child. The helpful teacher allows him to make money after school. However, the family does not function. Once, after a quarrel, when Eva gets drunk, she disappears. As Zdeněk does not want the child to be placed in a children's home, he starts to take care of Tomášek alone, with help of Brátková. When the little boy gets sick and has to go to hospital, Zdeněk's parents come to visit him and they find out he is not the real father. Despite their reasoning to give up the child, Zdeněk, on the contrary, leaves the conservatoire and takes care of the boy full-time. This goes on for four years. They live in a small studio and they manage well. Even his parents accepted the "grandchild". When Zdeněk visits the village, he finds that Douda is alive. His house is well repaired and the artist makes commercially successful paintings. Years ago, Zdeněk was shocked by a dummy which was hanging there to terrify the opening exhibition guests. Among the scattered drawings, Zdeněk glimpses Eva, nude. The artist admits he used to know her. Zdeněk grows close with Lenka, the lonely mother of small Barborka. Together, with little Tomášek, he is awaiting Lenka's visit in Prague. But instead of them, Eva rings at the door. She got married and wants her child back. Zdeněk resolutely refuses that. Eva says he has no right to Tomášek. But Zdeněk knows that, although he is not Tomáš's father, he became his mother.

Film online

Cast

Vladimír Javorský

listonoš a student Zdeněk Klouček

Yvetta Kornová

pionýrská vedoucí Eva

Petr Čepek

akademický malíř Jaroslav Douda

Marcela Martínková

prodavačka Růžena Kloučková, Zdeňkova matka

Eugen Jegorov

Klouček, Zdeňkův otec

Evald Schorm

profesor Vondruška

Michal Suchánek

František Sládek, Zdeňkův spolužák

Monika Horáková

Voice by Veronika Jeníková
Alena, Evina kamarádka

Markéta Fišerová

číšnice Markéta

Iva Hüttnerová

sociální pracovnice

Jiří Langmajer

student ekonomie Bursík

František Hammerle

Tomášek, Evin syn

Krystyna Wanatowiczová

Barborka, Lenčina dcera

Jan Hraběta

hudebník

Marie Durnová

zdravotní sestra v porodnici

Valerie Kaplanová

Pavlina babička

Jiří Hálek

podporučík VB

Simona Stašová

cvičitelka Eliška

Ondřej Vetchý

Ondra, Evin kumpán

Marek Tomažič

Cígo, Evin kumpán

Alice Chrtková

Káča, Evin kumpán

Sagvan Tofi

Segi, Evin kumpán

Valentina Thielová

matka žáka LŠU

Adolf Kohuth

dětský lékař

Josef Kubíček

opilec Kubíček

Jaroslav Malík ml.

tramp

Edita Dindělová

trampova žena

Vojtěch Eckert

hudebník

Renata Honzovičová

zdravotní sestra

Martina Gasparovičová

mladá maminka

Eva Řepíková

lékařka

Miroslava Vydrová

mladá prodavačka

Bohumil Koška

zahrádkář

Petr Záruba

Karel, Miluščin manžel

Ladislav Kocourek

potápěč

Jiří Kuba

potápěč

Pavel Simich

milenec

Květoslav Štora

vrchní

Pavel Cajzl

dubl za Vladimíra Javorského

Petr Kop

hudebník

Antonín Viktora

hudebník

Milan Vitoch

hudebník

Igor Chaun

herec v divadle

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Zuzana Hojdová, Jan Prokop

Assistant Director

Jarmila Čajová, Igor Chaun

Based on

Zdeněk Rosenbaum (Krajina s nábytkem – kniha)

Screenplay

Milan Ležák

Shooting Script

Karel Smyczek

Director of Photography

Jiří Macák

Second Unit Photography

Jan Hanzal

Camera Operator

Jiří Ondráček

Production Designer

Jiří Matolín

Assistent Production Designer

Milan Pecák

Art Director

Milan Albich

Set Designer

Jaroslav Česal, Karel Kočí, Petr Průša

Costume Designer

Kristina Novotná

Film Editor

Jiří Brožek

Assistant Film Editor

Věra Flaková, Eva Horázná

Sound Designer

Jiří Hora, Jiří Zobač

Production Manager

Jan Balzer

Unit Production Manager

Zdeňka Černá, Václav Eisenhamer

Unit Production Manager

Ivana Chobotová, Milada Věchetová, Daniela Stašková

Consultant

Vojtěch Eckert, Karel Velebný

Cooperation

Eva Palečková (klapka), Zdeněk Dukát (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Emil Viklický

Selected Music

Johann Kuhnau (Sonáta F dur), Ludwig van Beethoven

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), Emil Viklický

Music Supervisor

Jiří Zobač

Songs

Kamarád

Song Composer Zdeněk Barták
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav Machek
Singer Hana Zagorová

Červená řeka /Red River Valley/

Song Composer tradicionál
Writer of Lyrics Ivo Fischer
Singer dětský sbor

Já jsem tvá neznámá

Song Composer Vítězslav HádlLadislav Pikart
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Hana ZagorováStanislav HložekPetr Kotvald

Holka modrooká

Production info

Original Title

Krajina s nábytkem

Czech Title

Krajina s nábytkem

English Title

Landscape with Furniture

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

social, comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1986

Production Year

1985—1986

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 25 January 1985
start of filming 25 March 1985
technical Screenplay approved 27 May 1985
end of filming 4 April 1986
projection approval 22 April 1986

Premiere

premiere 1 March 1987 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

5. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Miloslav Vydra (vedoucí 5. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

93 min

Original length in metres

2 649 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

Festival: 25. festival českých a slovenských filmů Bratislava

1987
Bratislava / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 9. festival české a slovenské filmové veselohry Nové Město nad Metují

1987
Nové Město nad Metují / Czechoslovakia
Milan Ležák