The Mirror for Christine

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1975

Production year

1975

Premiere

12 March 1976

Runtime

93 min

Category

film

Genre

psychological

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Zrcadlo pro Kristýnu

Czech title

Zrcadlo pro Kristýnu

English title

The Mirror for Christine

Summary

After contributing to the anthology film Motiv pro vraždu (The Motive for Murder, 1974), Jiří Svoboda made his full debut with this psychological feature about a 19-year-old sportswoman whose life is changed by a serious accident. The required lengthy, bed-bound hospitalisation forces the arrogant and self-centred girl to rethink her relationships with her close ones, who are trying to support her in this difficult situation. The drama, based on a literary work from Ludmila Romportlová, offers an interesting opportunity for the debuting lead actress Lenka Kodešová – whom Svoboda also cast in his 1986 feature film, Papilio. Kristýna, whom she portrays, is at first not exactly likeable, and refuses the assistance offered to her by the doctors and family. It is a young crane operator, played by Miloš Vávra, who is eventually able to change Kristýna’s outlook. He was also given parts by Svoboda in later films (Dům na Poříčí [The House in Poříčí Street, 1976], Oddechový čas [Time for a Breather, 1977]).

Synopsis

It has only been a single wrong jump and the fall thereafter in a match and the whole life of Christine, a nineteen-year volleyball player, turned upside down. She is seriously injured, made to be lying in a plaster bed at hospital and later at home for long months. Her loneliness and idle life recall the time when she, being aware of her sports talent and female attractiveness, used to be arrogant and egoistic. She did not finish her sports club season, accepted an attractive offer in Prague, taking easy the love of her friend Tomáš. Christine did not want to admit that her mother had the right to live her own life, and together with her sister Marta, they called up a bad quarrel with their mother's partner. The young girl is depressed about her injury, which makes her behave arrogantly towards the doctor and nurses. However, none of her friends pays back the same coin. All of them try to make her life easier, ignoring her bursts of despair. During the long lonely periods, when her mother is at work and her sister at school, Christine tries to look at the world behind her room's windows through a mirror. This way she meets a young crane driver. He is willing to help her, and together with friends, they make a small trapeze for her to exercise in bed. His unpretending friendship helps her in thinking about a new attitude to life.

Cast

Lenka Kodešová

Kristýna Plívová

Věra Galatíková

Helena Plívová, Kristýnina matka

Lenka Kořínková

Marta, Kristýnina sestra

Oldřich Kaiser

Tomáš Srba

Josef Šebek

sportovní redaktor Adam Javorský

Jiří Ornest

MUDr. Prokeš

Jiří Hálek

MUDr. Kudrnáč

Eugen Jegorov

MUDr. Hlaváček

Vilém Besser

Berger, matčin přítel

Miloš Vávra

jeřábník Ondřej

Marie Motlová

pacientka Stehlíková

Nina Divíšková

pacientka Adámková

Bořivoj Navrátil

obvodní lékař

Vlastimil Čaněk

pilot Plíva, otec Marty a Kristýny

Luděk Munzar

trenér Slavoje inženýr Bedřich Lopata

Eva Vaňátková

pacientka Čížková

Jan Faltýnek

Adámek, manžel pacientky

Jana Bočková

Vladěna, Adamova sestra

Jiří Lír

ošetřovatel František

Filip Renč

Radek, Kristýnin nevlastní bratr

Martin Liška

funkcionář ligového klubu

Karel Bělohradský

řidič sanitky

Zdena Burdová

zdravotní sestra

Stanislav Litera

muž s knírem

Jiří Holeček

pořadatel

Vladimír Pospíšil

Stehlík, syn pacientky

Jiřina Zapletalová

Málková

Drah. Rabová

Rysová

Alena Šamšová

Pavla

L. Matyášková

Jana

Zdeněk Zloch

dubl – jízda na motocyklu

dorostenky Rudé hvězdy Praha

volejbalistky

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

František Sádek

Assistant Director

Jaroslav Hanuš

Continuity

Eva Kubesová

Based on

Ludmila Romportlová (Zrcadlo pro Kristýnu – novela)

Screenplay

Jiří Svoboda

Shooting Script

Jiří Svoboda

Dramaturg

Ivan Urban

Director of Photography

Miloš Petrolín

Second Unit Photography

Stanislav Kautský

Camera Operator

Jiří Maxa

Production Designer

Karel Lier

Assistent Production Designer

Libuše Jahodová

Set Designer

Jaroslav Lehman, Miloš Sršeň, Ladislav Rada

Costume Designer

Šárka Hejnová

Film Editor

Josef Valušiak

Assistant Film Editor

Růžena Hejsková, Jana Šimonová

Sound Designer

Pavel Jelínek

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

Ladislav Kalaš

Unit Production Manager

Vladimír Kubík, Jiří Holeček, Jaroslav Vlk

Consultant

MUDr. Miroslav Sýkora, Metoděj Mácha

Cooperation

Blažena Motlíková (klapka), Karel Šebík (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Petr Hapka

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Production info

Original Title

Zrcadlo pro Kristýnu

Czech Title

Zrcadlo pro Kristýnu

English Title

The Mirror for Christine

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

psychological

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1975

Production Year

1975

Production specifications

withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

premiere 11 March 1976 /suitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna, Praha)
premiere 12 March 1976 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
gala premiere 12 March 1976 (Dům kultury Vítkovických železáren Klementa Gottwalda, Ostrava)

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Oty Hofmana, Ota Hofman (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Výrobní skupina Věry Třeškové, Věra Třešková (vedoucí výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

93 min

Original length in metres

2 610 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

Festival: 14. filmový festival mladých Banská Bystrica

1976
Banská Bystrica / Czechoslovakia
Petr Hapka