Martyrs of Love
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1966Production year
1966Premiere
21 April 1967Runtime
70 minDirector
Jan NěmecCategory
povídkový filmGenre
short-story, tragicomedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Mučedníci láskyCzech title
Mučedníci láskyEnglish title
Martyrs of Lovepovídkový film
Martyrs of LoveSummary
This three-part tragicomedy from 1966 was the brainchild of director Jan Němec – the “enfant terrible” of the 1960s Czechoslovak New Wave – and screenwriter and costume designer Ester Krumbachová. Released at the same time as Němec’s legendary O slavnosti a hostech (The Party and the Guests, 1966), it was meant to clear his mind following a run of demanding experimentation. Yet, the three loosely connected variations on the theme of unhappy love can’t hide the author’s inherently provocative streak, already evident in his 1964 film Démanty noci (Diamonds of the Night) on which Krumbachová likewise participated (contributing as the costume designer). This tentatively received film would prove to be the last made by Němec in his homeland for a very long time. In the story entitled Pokušení manipulanta (Temptation of a Man-in-Charge), a young manipulative man throws himself into the vortex of the big city in an attempt to fight his loneliness. Although he meets a pretty girl in a postman’s cap (singer Marta Kubišová), in the end nothing comes of the encounter. In Nastěnčiny sny (Nastěnka’s Dreams), a girl working as dishwasher in a restaurant car daydreams about meeting a handsome man. The story entitled Dobrodružství sirotka Rudolfa (Adventures of Rudolf the Orphan) follows the orphan Rudolf, who finds himself at a party in an elegant villa. There he meets an obliging beauty. The next day, however, he discovers he can no longer locate the villa. The three protagonists – martyrs of love – who all meet on the street at the conclusion of the film, are, as it happens, not the kind of people who can break free from their isolation… For the manipulator’s role, Němec chose Petr Kopřiva (this was Kopřiva’s debut), who would afterwards appear in Antonín Máša’s Hotel pro Cizince (Hotel For Strangers, 1966), Evald Schorm’s Farářův konec (The End Of A Priest, 1968) and, above all, as Orlík, the main character’s brother, in Jaromil Jireš’s Valerie a Týden divů (Valery’s Week of Wonders, 1970). Nastěnka was played by Hana Kuberová, who following this appearance would make only one further, and only brief, appearance, in Miloš Forman’s Hoří, má panenko (Firemen’s Ball, 1967). The part of Rudolf was performed by choreographer Josef Koníček. Němec also found interesting placements for lesser and minor roles: composer and occasional actor Jan Klusák played one of Nastěnka’s suitors and the wanton “Daisies”, Jitka Cerhová and Ivana Karbanová, clearly wandered into Mučedníci lásky from the film by Věra Chytilová. The “roles” of the musicians are taken by the musical elite of that period (including Eva Olmerová, Laco Dészi, Ferdinand Havlík and Jan Hammer Jr.).
Synopsis
Three short stories.
Photos
Cast
Petr Kopřiva
manipulant
Marta Kubišová
dívka s poštovní čepicí
Hana Kuberová
Nastěnka
Jan Klusák
lékař-důstojník
Karel Gott
zpívající posel
Vladimír Preclík
tulák
Josef Koníček
sirotek Rudolf
Denisa Dvořáková
bledá dívka
Zdeněk Fanta
první muž
Pavel Bošek
druhý muž
Miloň Novotný
další muž
Alena Čepková
dáma
Olga Světelská
elegantní dívka
Jiří Mucha
muž s chrty
Marta Kadlečíková
žena s cigaretovou špičkou
Inka Zemánková
zpěvačka na plese
Eva Olmerová
zpěvačka v baru
Jiří Verberger
hudebník-klavír
Pavel Vitoch
hudebník-basová trubka
Ferdinand Havlík
hudebník-saxofon
Eugen Jegorov
hudebník-saxofon
Karel Pilar
hudebník-saxofon
Laco Déczi
hudebník-trubka
Jan Hammer ml.
hudebník-klavír
Miroslav Vitouš
hudebník-basa
Laco Tropp
hudebník-bicí
Jaroslav Boťa
hudebník-basa
Milan Tesař (2)
hudebník-kytara
Zdeněk Bruderhans
hudebník-flétna
Jitka Cerhová
rozpustilá dívka
Ivana Karbanová
rozpustilá dívka
Jiří Kovařík
elegán v černých brýlích
Vlasta Bambulová
Jana Dufková
Libor Fára
Šárka Horáčková
Míla Hotový
Pavel Jaderník
Marie Jančová
Jiřina Jandová
Herbert Kisza
Zdena Korčáková
Jan Krumbach
Ela Květoňová
Jana Lauferová
Emanuel Pejška
Irena Pejšková
Antonín Pražák
Jiří Reichel
Marie Simínová
Marie Sixtová
Miloš Šafránek
Jana Ševčíková (2)
Karel Volf
Roman Weiss
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Marie Kaplanová
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Art Director
Set Designer
Jiří Drégr, Jaroslav Chytrý, Jiří Cvrček
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Vladimír Tišer
Cooperation
Jarmila Knížková (klapka), Jaromír Komárek (fotograf)
Music
Songs
Jakube, Jakube
Song Composer Karel Mareš
Writer of Lyrics Ester Krumbachová
Singer Marta Kubišová
Přítelkyně má
Song Composer Jan Klusák
Writer of Lyrics Ester Krumbachová
Singer Karel Gott
Neboť, co je to člověk
Song Composer Karel Mareš
Writer of Lyrics Ester Krumbachová
Singer Marta Kubišová
Production info
Original Title
Mučedníci lásky
Czech Title
Mučedníci lásky
English Title
Martyrs of Love
Category
povídkový film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
short-story, tragicomedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1966
Production Year
1966
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 4 June 1965
technical Screenplay approved 14 March 1966
start of filming 18 April 1966
end of filming 21 July 1966
projection approval 1 November 1966
withdrawal from distribution 1 September 1974
Premiere
premiere 11 January 1967 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Praha /½ týdne/ a Hvězda /4 týdny od 16. 6./, Praha)
premiere 21 April 1967 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Novotný – Kubala, Bedřich Kubala (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Ladislav Novotný (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
70 min
Original length in metres
1 987 meters
Distribution carrier
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
Event: Ceny Trilobit 1966
1967
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jan Němec
Vítěz
Event: Ceny Trilobit 1966
1967
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Ester Krumbachová
