Rabbits in the Tall Grass
Category
filmGenre
dramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Králíci ve vysoké trávěCzech title
Králíci ve vysoké trávěEnglish title
Rabbits in the Tall GrassSynopsis
Ten-year old Martin is troubled. His bigoted mother forces him to attend religious classes, love God and serve at the church as an acolyte. But everywhere he looks Martin encounters hypocrisy and sees that sinful deeds go unpunished. His father steals planks from the building site of a diary farm cooperative, his brother Eda secretly takes money from the house, and Kovajs, his friend from school, also "sins" knowingly. Nothing happens to any of them. On the other hand, Martin is constantly experiencing troubles. The worst of them is the death of his pet angora rabbits. After this, Martin's belief in God is deeply shaken and he becomes a member of the young socialist pioneers organization without his mother's knowledge. He also wants to join the other children and visit the city for the 1st of May celebrations, but he must first do his duty at the church. The priest drags out the mass and the sermon until his flock can take it no longer and take flight. In the afternoon, the boys make a solemn promise that they will no longer be acolytes. Pišta is the first to break the promise, and Martin is also "bribed" with a new bicycle. Kovajs accuses him of treason and Martin keeps trying to avoid his church work. First he eats an entire tube of Celaskon pills and then he walks into the freezing water of a stream to get ill so as to avoid having to fulfil his mother's wish. Half naked and frozen stiff, he shivers in a small shed.
Note
In the film´s original version Martin, anguished and run-down by the hypocrisy of the adults´ world, throws himself into the swift currents under a weir and drowns. At the funeral, attended by the entire village, all the boys who should have come to serve as acolytes keep their promise and come dressed as young socialist pioneers. After the audience had refused the tragic end at the first test projection, the director shot a new version in which Martin is saved and, soaked and scared, hides inside a shed. The original version has not survived on any film material.
Photos
Cast
Michal Koblic
Martin Čermák
Josef Šrajer
Kovajs
Michael Dáňa
Eda, Martinův bratr
Jan Kovařík
Harvan
Martin Švehla
Pišta
Josef Prchal
Polák
Čestmír Studna
Hořejší
Marcela Čížková
Marcela Daňková
Antonie Hegerliková
Anči Čermáková, Martinova matka
Elo Romančík
Antonín Čermák, Martinův otec
Zora Rozsypalová
teta Fanda
Marcela Martínková
Ludmila zvaná Luďka, Martinova sestra
Petr Kostka
poručík Mirek Podlešák, Luďčin ženich
Václav Lohniský
farář Hornof
Emil Rohan
Kovajsův otec
Jaroslava Tvrzníková
Martinova učitelka
Stanislav Junek
svazák Kryšták
Vladimír Hlavatý
předseda MNV Šimáček
Hermína Vojtová
Horáčková
Alois Dvorský
kostelník
Marie Nademlejnská
prachatická teta
Nina Bártů
Mirkova matka
Adolf Minský
děda Bína
Zdeněk Procházka
zedník
Eva Foustková
Kovajsová
Antonín Soukup
hostinský
Josef Příhoda
prodavač losů
Rajmund Pour
vousatý muž s raketou
Jiří Müller
muž s raketou
Jan Teplý
muž s raketou
Miroslav Jetmar
poručík, svědek na svatbě
Jaroslav Toms
řidič
Mária Sýkorová
babička Kovajsová
Luděk Pilc
lékař
Josefa Pechlátová
bába Harvanová
Arna Pekárková
bába
Milan Jedlička
železničář
Jaroslav Drbohlav
kluk na svatbě
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Josef Dvořák, Zeno Dostál, Marta Měřínská
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Adolf Nacházel, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)
Assistant Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Olga Mimrová, Miloš Rudolf
Unit Production Manager
Eliška Doubková, Jaroslava Hypiusová
Cooperation
František Schwarz (vrchní osvětlovač)
Music
Music Composed by
Selected Music
Antonín Dvořák (Symfonie č. 9 e moll Z Nového světa /Largo/)
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
Proto jsem se tak mladá vdávala
Song Composer lidová píseň
Writer of Lyrics lidová píseň
Singer sbor
Živijó, živijó
Singer sbor
Už mou milou do kostela vedou
Song Composer lidová píseň
Writer of Lyrics lidová píseň
Singer sbor
Rudé šátky na slunci hoří
Song Composer Svatopluk Havelka
Writer of Lyrics Josef Brukner
Singer dětský sbor
Mám já zahrádečku roubenou
Singer sbor
Rozkvetlý den
Song Composer Radim Drejsl
Writer of Lyrics Miroslav Zachata
Singer sbor
Kupředu, zpátky ni krok
Song Composer Jan Seidel
K nebesům dnes zaleť písní
Song Composer Vladimír Juráš
Writer of Lyrics Josef Miklík
Singer sbor
Ó, hřebíčku zahradnický
Song Composer lidová píseň
Production info
Original Title
Králíci ve vysoké trávě
Czech Title
Králíci ve vysoké trávě
English Title
Rabbits in the Tall Grass
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1961
Production Year
1961
Production specifications
technical Screenplay approved 14 January 1961
literary Screenplay approved 15 February 1961
start of filming 4 May 1961
end of filming 13 September 1961
projection approval 8 December 1961
withdrawal from distribution 31 May 1989
Premiere
preview 16 February 1962 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 23 February 1962 /suitable for youths/ (kina Flora /1 týden/ a Lucerna /2 týdny/, Praha)
premiere 23 February 1962 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Šmída – Fikar, Ladislav Fikar (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
93 min
Original length in metres
2 651 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
Awards
Vítěz
Exhibition: 2. celostátní přehlídka československých filmů pro děti a mládež Gottwaldov
1967
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 4. festival českých a slovenských filmů Košice
1962
Košice / Czechoslovakia
Ota Hofman
Vítěz
Festival: 4. festival českých a slovenských filmů Košice
1962
Košice / Czechoslovakia
Václav Gajer
