The Man Who Built the Cathedral

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1919

Production year

1919

Premiere

5 March 1920

Runtime

39 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, historical

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionmedium

Original title

Stavitel chrámu

Czech title

Stavitel chrámu

English title

The Man Who Built the Cathedral

Summary

Film The Man Who Built the Cathedral is an adaptation of legends about the architect Petr Parléř, who was commissioned by Charles IV to build a Gothic temple in Prague, a work that went beyond possibilities of architecture at the time. One of the first Czechoslovak narrative films explores human ambition, doubt, and envy in an archetypal Faustian tale.

Synopsis

The story is an adaptation of a Prague legend about Petr Parléř, architect to Charles IV who was entrusted with the task of building a Gothic cathedral in Prague, a magnificent example of the architecture of the time. Petr arrives at Karlštejn castle to submit his construction project to the king. After its approval, he starts his courageous task. The closer the day draws near on which the support beams are to be taken down, the more jealous other builders become and they try to sabotage his work. News spreads among his workers that the cathedral is the work of the Devil and that it will collapse. The workers, out of fear, refuse to take down the wooden construction supporting the cathedral. Petr himself is scared and has his own doubts because he does indeed meet with the Devil who promises him help but forces him to burn down the scaffolding. Petr flees the city from the possible consequences. The building, however, remains standing and the people search for their architect to tell him the good news. Petr, fleeing from the crowds comes to the edge of a precipice. The Devil throws him down and receives his soul as reward.

Note

A unique film in which Jakub Seifert plays his one and only film role. The film was successfully shown in France with the title La Cathédrale. Working shots of crowd scenes from the film appear in How the films were made in our country (compiled by Bohumil Veselý, 1954).

Cast

Jakub Seifert

císař římský a král český Karel IV.

Rudolf Deyl st.

stavitel Petr

Karel Kolár

kameník

Eva Vrchlická

Alena, kameníkova dcera

Jaroslav Hurt

první stavitel/ďábel

Florentin Steinsberg

druhý stavitel

Karel Váňa

třetí stavitel/druhý kněz

Vladimír Šrámek

zpovědník císaře a krále Karla IV.

Milada Zázvorková

páže císaře a krále Karla IV.

členové sokolských jednot

lid/kameníci/mniši/cechy

Crew and creators

Based on

anonym (pověst ze XIV. století)

Director of Photography

Jindřich Brichta

Camera Operator

Václav Münzberger

Production Designer

Josef Wenig

Cooperation

Emil Fafek (fotograf)

Production info

Original Title

Stavitel chrámu

Czech Title

Stavitel chrámu

English Title

The Man Who Built the Cathedral

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, historical

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1919

Production Year

1919

Production specifications

date of censorship 1920
date of censorship 5 October 1933 (konec povolení k promítání 5. 10. 1938)
projection approval 1963
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1991

Premiere

premiere 5 March 1920 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Světozor /2 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 1 October 1963 /unsuitable for youths/ (filmové kluby)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Bratři Deglové (původní 1920), Ústřední půjčovna filmů (obnovená 1963)

Technical info

Duration typology

medium length film

Duration in minutes

39 min

Original length in metres

1 115 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,33

Colour

tinting, black & white

Sound

silent

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

without dialogue

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Intertitles languages

Czech

Opening/End credits languages

Czech