The Devil’s Elixirs
Country
Czechoslovakia, German Democratic RepublicCopyright
1972Production year
1972Premiere
6 April 1973Runtime
96 minDirector
Ralf KirstenCategory
filmGenre
romantic, mysteryTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Elixíry ďáblaCzech title
Elixíry ďáblaEnglish title
The Devil’s ElixirsCo-production title
Die Elixiere des TeufelsSummary
This co-production costume picture from 1972, made by East German director Ralf Kirsten, was inspired by the novel of the same name written by E. T. A. Hoffmann. The protagonist of this romantically based tale is the young, newly ordained priest Franziskus, who is led astray from the path of righteousness by the devil Viktorin. Using fabled elixirs he causes the young man to succumb to the charms of the comely Aurelie, which leads to his expulsion from the monastery and his committing of a murder... This mysterious tale relating the temptation of a young priest was – paradoxically and in contrast to the original work – conceived of as anti-Catholic propaganda. Kirsten, together with cameraman Claus Neumann, attempts to build a mysterious, eerie atmosphere. While the crew that make use of the Czech scenery is mostly German, Jaroslava Schallerová (Aurelie) and Milena Dvorská (Aurelie’s malicious stepmother, Euphemie) appear in the German-Polish-Czech cast.
Synopsis
Young seminary student Franziskus has been ceremonially ordained. He wants to escape the harshness and injustice of the world and devote himself to the service of God in the quiet seclusion of a monastery. He is also hoping to forget the beautiful lady Aurelie, whose life he saved in a flooded brook and with whom he spent an amorous night. He knows that her father would never allow her to marry him. But the devil dressed in a monk's habit and under the name Viktorin intervenes in Franziskus's destiny and attempts to lead him astray. To do so he first uses the diabolical elixirs kept at the monastery as a rare relic. When the young monk gets expelled from the monastery, Viktorin prepares another trap with the help of Aurelie's stepmother Euphemie. The young man has met Aurelie again and the two are happy together. Euphemie finds out that Aurelie is going to have a child by Franziskus and informs Aurelie's brother Hermogen. In the fight that ensues she kills Hermogen and treacherously accuses Franziskus of the murder. Franziskus escapes to the puppeteer Belcampo. Viktorin tricks Franziskus into coming to a masked ball under the pretence that he will meet Aurelie there. At the ball, Franziskus is exposed by Euphemie, accused of the murder and imprisoned. The Church refuses to have one of its members tried in a secular court and imprisons Franziskus at the monastery instead. Here, a bishop reveals to the young man his true origin. He is the illegitimate son of the abbess and Belcampo. Franziskus wants to expose the machinations of the Church and is killed for this reason. Aurelie, who has given birth to a son, leaves with Belcampo to rouse the people against their villainous masters.
Photos
Cast
Benjamin Besson
Voice by Eduard Cupák
Franziskus, později bratr Medardus
Jaroslava Schallerová
Voice by Ivana Vondrovicová
Aurelie Angela von Waldstättenová
Andrzej Kopiczyński
Voice by Jiří Zahajský
ďábel Viktorin
Milena Dvorská
Euphemie, Aureliina nevlastní matka
Maja Komorowska
Voice by Jana Dítětová
abatyše, Františkova matka/kněžna
Fred Düren
Voice by Karel Houska
loutkář Belcampo
Krzysztof Chamiec
Voice by Soběslav Sejk
biskup
Norbert Christian
Voice by Josef Langmiler
mnich Cyrillus
Radovan Lukavský
baron von Waldstätten, Aureliin otec
Jürgen Kluckert
Voice by Jan Schánilec
Hermogen, Aureliin bratr
Edmund Fetting
Voice by Bohumil Bezouška
soudce
Gerhard Bienert
Voice by Lubor Tokoš
převor Leonard
Peter Dommisch
Voice by Svatopluk Beneš
kníže
Angela Brunner
selka
Zdena Burdová
komorná
Monika Pietsch
chůva
Klaus-Peter Plessow
seminarista
Annette Roth
chůva
Klaus-Rudolf Weber
seminarista
Petr Skarke
uhlíř
Ingeborg Wimmler
tanec Euphemie
Klaus Ebeling
pantomima
Wolfgang Edel
pantomima
Harald Engelmann
pantomima
Wolfgang Feldhan
pantomima
Ursula Fischer
pantomima
Pedro Hebenstreit
pantomima
Gerd Lüpper
pantomima
Karl Maschwitz
pantomima
Katja Molotschajewa
pantomima
Janus Rehor
pantomima
Renate Wendel
pantomima
Alexander Leuschen
pantomima
Heino Kurth
pantomima
Alexander Winkler
pantomima
Dieter Knust
mnich
Gerd Groicher
akrobat
Christine Groicher
akrobatka
Eberhard Sperlich
polykač ohně
Alfred Krämer
muž s bičem
Erich Braun
strážný
Bernd Schnaak
kaplan
Jana Zrzavecká
dubl za Jaroslavu Schallerovou
Peter Berger
Gerhard Blabusch
Brigitte Böselt
Ines Dalchau
Jürgen Dahms
Karin Diekmann-Kursawe
Christa Ernst
Egon Fischer
Heidi Förster
Lothar Hanff
Rainer Harder
Manfred Hartmann
Rainer Hartung
Jürgen Hase
Herbert Hoffmann
Sigrid Hubrich
Wilfried Jahn
Carmen Kenitz
Gisela König
Klaus Kretschmar
Karl-Heinz Kruse
Erika Lessmann
Winfried Mank
Alexander Onody
Marie Pechmann
Henko Petrow
Dagmar Pograzeba
Isolde Pötzsch
Eva Reinthaller
Angelika Rentsch
Roswitha Riedel
Georg Richtsfeld
Inka Rost
Christine Rouvel
Klaus Sehmisch
Dietmar Seiffert
Helga Schiele
Anita Siegert
Eva Szendey
Anita Tank
Antje Töpel
Hans Vogelreuter
Karl-Heinz Weiss
Ute Wisnawitzki
Ivan Chrz
dubl za Andrzeje Kopiczyńského
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Miroslav Kubišta, Doris Borkmann
Based on
E. T. A. Hoffmann (Elixíry ďábla – román)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Frank Bredow
Production Designer
Set Designer
Miloš Osvald, Klaus Selignow, Jiří Rulík
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Jiří Šimon, Frank Zucholowsky, Brigitte Welzel, Waldemar Pokrywka, Ursula Funk
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Stunts
Michael Vollandt
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jiří Ulrich, Walter Hunger, Karl-Heinz Marzahn, Renée Lavecká
Unit Production Manager
Jiřina Vaňková
Consultant
Hans-Joachim Felber
Cooperation
Zuzana Folkertová (klapka), Karel Šebík (fotograf)
Direction of Czech version
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Symfonický orchestr DEFA (Music Conducted by Manfred Rosenberg), Sdružení sólistů berlínského rozhlasu (Music Conducted by Dietrich Knothe), Volker Bräutigam /varhany/
Writer of Lyrics
Heinz Kahlau
Singer
Sdružení sólistů berlínského rozhlasu
Choreographer
Harald Engelmann
Songs
Belcampova píseň
Song Composer André Asriel
Writer of Lyrics Heinz Kahlau
Singer Karel Houska
Production info
Original Title
Elixíry ďábla
Czech Title
Elixíry ďábla
English Title
The Devil’s Elixirs
Co-production Title
Die Elixiere des Teufels
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
romantic, mystery
Origin country
Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic
Copyright
1972
Production Year
1972
Production specifications
start of filming 1 March 1972
end of filming 29 November 1972
projection approval 12 December 1972
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
Premiere
premiere 6 April 1973 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 12 April 1973 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Sevastopol, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
96 min
Original length in metres
2 700 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
