Great Torments
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1974Production year
1974Premiere
17 January 1975Runtime
87 minDirector
Jiří HanibalCategory
filmGenre
psychologicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Velké trápeníCzech title
Velké trápeníEnglish title
Great TormentsSummary
Helena Šmahelová’s novel Velké trápení (Great Torments) was first published in 1959. It then served as popular reading material for several generations of young girls. In 1974, Jiří Hanibal adapted the work for the big screen, adding to his filmography of stories dealing with the joys and woes of adolescents. The script for this psychological drama was written by blacklisted writer František Pavlíček; his work was concealed in the titles by attributing the credit to colleagues Otto and Bohumila Zelenka instead. The film tells the story of 13-year-old Jana (Renata Mašková), who finds herself in a children’s home following the divorce of her parents. Set to spend the summer holidays with her father (Eduard Cupák), disappointment beckons as he fails to provide a secure environment for the sensitive teenager. Jana sets off to find her mother instead, thinking back to her recent past. Jana Štěpánková offers a strong performance as the understanding head of the children’s home.
Synopsis
After their parents' divorce, the adolescent Jana stays with her father and the younger Míša leaves with the mother. Jana takes over the household chores in place of her mother. Everything is fine at first. But the father has no time for Jana and on top of all, one day he brings home his girlfriend. Jana reacts by cutting school, wandering around and getting bad grades at school. Finally, her father decides to place Jana in a children's home. Jana is greatly hurt by all this and her negative approach to everything and everybody in the children's home stems out of her despair. However, Jana starts gradually coming to terms with her involuntary stay, especially when she finds out that some children have much worse fate than she does. She is mostly touched by the fate of Lenka, who speaks of her mother with undying love unaware of the fact that her mother has given her up for adoption. Jana makes friends also with the local boys and the home nurse, whom she resented at first. Time passes quickly and suddenly, the summer holidays are here. Jana is looking forward to spending them with her father. She is waiting for him at the station, but when he appears with his girlfriend, Jana runs away. She sets off on a journey to her mother - first by train and then on foot. The journey is long and so Jana sleeps over in a haystack. In the morning she meets her sister Míša and then she sees her mother and runs to her happily.
Note
In the introductory titles of the film Bohumila Zelenková and Otto Zelenka their names be used instead of the screenplay writer František Pavlíček, who could not be credited as the author at the time for political reasons.
Photos
Cast
Renata Mašková
Jana Tománková, chovanka dětského domova
Eduard Cupák
Tománek, Janin otec
Marcela Martínková
Janina matka
Kateřina Žalská
Míša, Janina mladší sestra
Jana Štěpánková
vedoucí dětského domova
Božena Böhmová
vychovatelka Bojanová
Marie Motlová
kuchařka Tóny
Hana Packertová
vychovatelka Marie
Vanda Švarcová
vychovatelka Emilka
Bohumil Šmída
průvodčí
Jitka Zelenohorská
Věra, Tománkova přítelkyně
Marie Vrábelová
Alena Zemanová zvaná Lenka
Zuzana Fišerová
Anička
Zuzana Zeithamlová
Julka
Kateřina Šimůnková
Liduška, Julčina sestra
Táňa Václavová
Milena
Renata Bauerová
Boženka
Marek Vašut
Vojta, vůdce chlapecké party
Martin Slabý
František, Janin kamarád
Stanislav Winter
Jožin
Marek Hlavica
Zdeněk
Josef Vytasil
Jaroušek zvaný Žrout
Robert Krásný
chlapec
Barbora Stehlíková
dívka
Irena Kozárová
dívka
Pavlína Valeriánová
dívka
Jan Hrušínský
nádražní dělník
Vladimír Štros
host v kavárně/cestující ve vlaku
Věra Budilová
cestující ve vlaku/návštěvnice domova
Bohuslav Kupšovský
cestující ve vlaku
Zdeněk Skalický
cestující ve vlaku
Marcel Bogosta
cestující ve vlaku
Karel Hovorka
cestující ve vlaku
Slávka Hamouzová
cestující ve vlaku
Věra Petáková
host v kavárně
Bohumil Koška
host v kavárně
Jindřich Faktor
host v kavárně
Viktor Riebauer
host v kavárně
Petr Skarke
návštěvník domova
Marie Popelková
návštěvnice domova
Jiřina Bílá
návštěvnice domova
Gustav Vondráček
návštěvník domova
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Vilém Kijonka
Continuity
Based on
Helena Šmahelová (Velké trápení – román)
Screenplay
František Pavlíček (pod jménem Bohumily Zelenkové a Otty Zelenky)
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Luděk Kopal
Production Designer
Set Designer
Jiří Žák, Antonín Chloupek, Ladislav Winkelhöfer
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Ludvík Malý, Josef Staněk
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Růžena Hulínská, Jiří Mařas
Unit Production Manager
Helena Hánová
Cooperation
J. Hofmannová (klapka), Ivan Minář (fotograf), Miroslav Hrachovec
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)
Songs
Horo, horo, vysoká jsi
Singer Marie Motlová
Já se dnes dopoledne žením /muzikál My Fair Lady/
Song Composer Frederick Loewe
Production info
Original Title
Velké trápení
Czech Title
Velké trápení
English Title
Great Torments
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
psychological
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1974
Production Year
1974
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 22 January 1974
start of filming 15 February 1974
technical Screenplay approved 22 February 1974
end of filming 30 August 1974
projection approval 2 September 1977
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990
Premiere
premiere 16 January 1975 /suitable for youths/ (kino Letka, Praha)
premiere 17 January 1975 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Oty Hofmana, Ota Hofman (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
87 min
Original length in metres
2 441 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
Awards
Vítěz
Exhibition: 7. přehlídka filmů pro děti Ostrov nad Ohří
1975
Ostrov nad Ohří / Czechoslovakia
Zuzana Fišerová
Vítěz
Festival: 15. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov
1975
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 15. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov
1975
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Renata Mašková
Vítěz
Festival: 4. festival dětských filmů České Budějovice
1975
České Budějovice / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 15. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov
1975
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
