I, the Distressing God

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1969

Production year

1968—1969

Premiere

17 October 1969

Runtime

83 min

Category

film

Genre

anecdote, comedy, sad comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Já truchlivý Bůh

Czech title

Já truchlivý Bůh

English title

I, the Distressing God

Summary

Milan Kundera’s short story I, the Distressing God from the collection Laughable Loves was adapted twice in the 1960s. In 1967 Jaroslav Horan made a mid-length film of it for the Brno studio based on a screenplay by the novelist’s wife Věra Hrabánková. Just two years later Antonín Kachlík filmed the short story at Barrandov Film Studios from a screenplay he co-wrote with Kundera himself. This led to a relatively faithful adaptation; some passages were identical to the short story, though several new episodes were added to the anecdotal original (in particular concerning the keen-to-marry Mrs. Štenclová, played by Jiřina Jirásková). The same fate was met by the 1965 Hynek Bočan film Nikdo se nebude smát (Nobody Gets the Last Laugh), which was based on the Laughable Loves story of the same title. (Žert [The Joke], a 1968 film rendition of the novel by Jaromil Jireš, represented a third adaption of Kundera). The narrative’s protagonist, ladies’ man Adolf (Miloš Kopecký), decides to punish Janička, a conservatory student who has spurned him. Because the stuck-up young singer has a taste for celebrities, he introduces her to the Greek Apostolek (Pavel Landovský), who pretends to be a composer from Greece. However, revenge is not as sweet as Adolf had hoped: the two fall in love and following Apostolek’s “return home” Janička discovers she is pregnant. The surprised manipulator is unable to tell the truth to the girl, who has decided to be a proud single mother… As in the short story, Adolf is the narrator; in a distancing voiceover he plays with, instructs and mocks the audience… Unlike other adaptations of Kundera, Kachlík’s film leans toward the comedy genre. Both leads are also inclined toward it, with Kopecký and Landovský setting in train a grandiose farce centred around non-actress Jana Lelitová’s cold-blooded and naive Janička (dubbed by Alena Procházková).

Synopsis

Adolf, the irresistible seducer of women, is fond of Janička, a novice opera singer. The girl, however, prefers famous men and Adolf thus does not have a single chance with her. One day in a hospital, he meets a Greek partisan named Apostolek who impresses him with his spontaneity and ease in solving all problems, especially those with women. Adolf has an idea. He makes Apostolek familiar with social manners, dresses him after the latest fashion and introduces him to Janička as a Greek conductor. Janička instantly falls in love with the made-up composer and Apostolek does no better. But Adolf is not satisfied with their love affair - he wanted to have fun and also his revenge on Janička, but failed. He, however, follows his plan closely and makes up Apostolek's return to Greece. Janička finds out she is pregnant. Adolf offers to marry her but Janička rejects him: she decides to be a single mother and maybe also to wait for Apostolek's return. Adolf is jealous and contemplates telling the truth to the girl, but eventually does not. The child is born and Janička proudly walks around with the perambulator. Although Adolf lost Janička, he feels that, due to his joke, he has become an invisible part of her life and that they, in fact, belong together.

Film online

Cast

Pavel Landovský

Řek Apostol Certikidis zvaný Apostolek

Hana Lelitová

Voice by Alena Procházková
studentka konzervatoře Jana Malátová

Jiřina Jirásková

rozvedená paní Štenclová

Ivana Mixová

operní zpěvačka

Květoslava Houdlová

oční lékařka, Adolfova bývalá spolužačka

Jindra Reháková

Certikidisová, Apostolova žena

Pavla Maršálková

Malátová, Janina matka

Zdeněk Kryzánek

Malát, Janin otec

Jarmila Gerlová

Voice by Dana Syslová
odmítnutá milenka Jana

Vlastimil Maršíček

tenorista Lambrecht

Jiří Přichystal

operní pěvec

Daniela Pokorná

Janina přítelkyně

Jana Karpašová

Janina přítelkyně

Ilona Jirotková

Janina přítelkyně

Boleslava Svobodová

pacientka Růžena

Vladimír Klemens

učitel hudby

Karel Hanzlík

baleťák

Jan Víšek

lékař v nemocnici

MUDr. Jestřáb

lékař

Otakar Chaloupka

dirigent mistr Ořechovský-Burský

Antonín Kachlík

operetní režisér Žoužel

Alena Balejová

dívka

Jana Lauferová

dívka

P. Horáková

dívka

J. Kovářová

dívka

Marie Fingerová

milenka Frau Pollak

Pavel Nečesal

opilec v automatu

Růžena Smolíková

otylá pacientka

Orchestr Brno 60

orchestr

J. Dziodzik

hudebník

K. Šumpik

hudebník

K. Bílý

hudebník

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Miroslav Kubišta

Assistant Director

Karel Kovář

Based on

Milan Kundera (Já truchlivý Bůh – povídka ze sbírky Směšné lásky)

Shooting Script

Antonín Kachlík

Director of Photography

Jan Němeček

Second Unit Photography

Pavel Nečesal

Camera Operator

M. Kudrna

Production Designer

Milan Nejedlý

Assistent Production Designer

Jan Sedláček

Set Designer

Karel Kočí, Jaroslava Vilímková

Sound Designer

Emil Poledník

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

Petr Čapek

Unit Production Manager

Dana Dudová, Martin Baroch

Unit Production Manager

Lucie Hertlová

Cooperation

Jarmila Kostolná (klapka), Jana Exnerová (fotografka), Roman Soumar (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Vladimír Sommer

Selected Music

Giuseppe Verdi (opera Rigoletto), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Turecký pochod), Antonín Dvořák (árie Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém z opery Rusalka), Gioacchino Rossini (opera Lazebník sevillský /Il barbiere di Siviglia/)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Production info

Original Title

Já truchlivý Bůh

Czech Title

Já truchlivý Bůh

English Title

I, the Distressing God

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

anecdote, comedy, sad comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1969

Production Year

1968—1969

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 10 April 1968
technical Screenplay approved 2 September 1968
start of filming 12 November 1968
end of filming 16 April 1969
the first film copy approved 28 May 1969
projection approval 12 June 1969
withdrawal from distribution 7 June 1974
withdrawal from distribution 31 May 1993

Premiere

premiere 17 October 1969 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 13 November 1969 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Kotva /4 týdny/ a Letka /4 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 1 January 1991 /unsuitable for youths/

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů (původní 1969 a obnovená 1991 /pod názvem Lucernafilm/)

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Švabík – Procházka, Jan Procházka (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Erich Švabík (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

83 min

Original length in metres

2 340 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