Bitter Love

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1958

Production year

1957—1958

Premiere

10 October 1958

Runtime

88 min

Director

Josef Mach

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Hořká láska

Czech title

Hořká láska

English title

Bitter Love

Working title

Jakubové / O život a lásku

Synopsis

Young farmer Václav Marunáč hurt himself badly when the horses bolted. He is returning from the hospital in a plaster cast and with a minimal chance for recovery. All the hard work falls on his old father and his wife Hedvika who is helped by her son Vašík. The old father calls for his younger son Jakub, who lives in the city, to help. Hedvika's legal right to the estate is unsure and she is worried that Vašík's inheritance will be in danger. She is surprised when she notices Jakub paying her attention. Jakub has disputes with his father which culminate in him taking part in the cooperative meeting. Hedvika and Jakub are getting closer through the hard work and Václav feels that his wife is drifting away from him. Jakub is very attentive to Hedvika and gives her a scarf for her birthday. Hedvika hides the scarf, but tormented by jealousy Václav gets up from his bed and he finds the scarf. Frightened Hedvika is unexpectedly confronted by Václav, but suddenly Václav dies. Hedvika and Jakub's relationship changes after Václav's death. Hedvika feels guilty, she is cold and unapproachable. They both already work in the cooperative but Jakub decides to return to the city and comes to say goodbye to Hedvika. It is only then that Hedvika realizes that she will lose Jakub. They fall into each other's arms.

Cast

Zdeněk Štěpánek

sedlák Václav Marunáč

Josef Bek

Václav, Marunáčův starší syn

Eva Kubešová

Hedvika, žena Václava Marunáče ml.

Jan Sedliský

Jakub, Marunáčův mladší syn

Rudolf Deyl ml.

správce statku Kosil

František Filipovský

chalupník Jurečka

Eman Fiala

chalupník Havlasa

Zbyněk Tenkrát

Vašík, syn Václava ml. a Hedviky

Libuše Havelková

kovářova žena

Crew and creators

Director

Josef Mach

Second Unit Director

Antonín Kachlík

Assistant Director

Věra Filipová

Screenstory

Jan Procházka

Shooting Script

Josef Mach

Director of Photography

Julius Vegricht

Production Designer

Alois Mecera

Make-Up Artist

Rudolf Hammer

Film Editor

Antonín Zelenka

Sound Designer

Karel Zákora

Production Manager

Ladislav Terš

Unit Production Manager

Hubert Novotný

Consultant

Jan Procházka

Cooperation

Milan Nejedlý

Music

Music Composed by

Ludvík Podéšť

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Production info

Original Title

Hořká láska

Czech Title

Hořká láska

English Title

Bitter Love

Working Title

Jakubové / O život a lásku

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1958

Production Year

1957—1958

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 31 July 1957
technical Screenplay approved 25 September 1957
start of filming 31 October 1957
end of filming 28 May 1958
projection approval 29 July 1958
withdrawal from distribution 1 April 1966

Premiere

preview 3 October 1958 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 10 October 1958 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Jalta /2 týdny/ a Revoluce /½ týdne od 17. 10./, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Šebor – Bor, Vladimír Bor (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jiří Šebor (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

88 min

Original length in metres

2 508 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech