Palette of Love

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1976

Production year

1976

Premiere

24 December 1976

Runtime

98 min

Director

Josef Mach

Category

film

Genre

biography

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Paleta lásky

Czech title

Paleta lásky

English title

Palette of Love

Summary

The creative, restless personality of painter Josef Mánes (1820–1871) constitutes the central theme of this 1976 biographical drama by experienced director Josef Mach. The feature film is based on a book and screenplay by writer František Kožík. Nevertheless, the filmmakers only picked out some of the scenes from the extensive original work. Those selected were mostly related to Mánes´s studies and his work on the embellishment of the Prague astronomical clock, the unveiling of which the painter did not live to see. The artist, both during his youthful idealism and the creative inspiration he drew from maturity, is convincingly portrayed by Petr Kostka. Proven actors of the time are even found throughout the rest of the cast of this patriotic costume film. Writer Neruda was portrayed by Eduard Cupák, and Professor Purkyně by Bohuš Záhorský. Jana Švandová a Soňa Valentová were entrusted to portray the painter’s beloved “muses” – the women of his life.

Synopsis

Josef Mánes gets into a conflict with the director of the Academy of Fine Art, Ruben, and his immediately thrown out of the school. But Josef is not downcast. He is young and believes in his talent. He is also in love with the maidservant Fanynka. Soon, however, reality catches up with him. Fanynka is expecting Josef's child, and his uncompromising sister Amalka, who supports the whole family, sends the girl away. It is 1865 and the Old Town Astronomical Clock is being reconstructed. Mánes wants to get the commission for the paintings on the clock face, but the city council offers the work to the painter Trenkwald, and it is only when Trenkwald refuses – because the fee is too small even to cover the costs – that Mánes gets his change. The Mánes's are living in great poverty, but Josef takes up the work with enthusiasm. One bring spot in his life is that the well-known painter Cornelius recognizes his talent and invites the young painter to work with him in Munich. Mánes, however, wants to stay in Bohemia. Profesor Böhm, responsible for the astronomical parts of the clock, makes it impossible for Mánes to continue. The despairing painter accepts an invitation from the Sylva-Taroucca noble family and goes to stay at their residence in the Moravian region Haná, but as soon as he hearts that Böhm has been dismissed he returns to Prague to continue work on the clock paintings. He works tirelessly even in the period of the Prussian invasion of Bohemia, but he knows that his strength is totally exhausted and takes him away from the town hall, but Mánes cannot abandon his work. In the end it is only his daughter Josefína who persuades him to leave. Sick and mentally deranged, he finds himself back in the Haná. He is at the end of his strength, and sees only the beauty of nature. The clock is ceremonially unveiled in Prague, but the painters Josef Mánes is already dead.

Cast

Petr Kostka

malíř Josef Mánes

Stanislav Fišer

malíř Quido, Josefův bratr

Miroslav Doležal

architekt František Václavík

Eduard Cupák

spisovatel Jan Neruda

Luděk Munzar

malíř Karel Purkyně

Bohuš Záhorský

profesor Jan Evangelista Purkyně

Josef Bláha

malíř Peter von Cornelius

Jana Štěpánková

malířka Amálie, Josefova a Quidova sestra

Jana Švandová

služka Fanynka, Josefova milenka

Libuše Šafránková

Josefína, Josefova nemanželská dcera

Soňa Valentová

herečka Jindřiška Slavínská

Gabriela Beňačková

Voice by Libuše Švormová
Anna, Václavíkova žena

Zuzana Kocúriková

bulharská malířka Ekka Goranova

Ota Sklenčka

profesor Böhm

Martin Růžek

ředitel Akademie Christian Ruben

Gustav Heverle

rada Kriebel

Ilja Prachař

rada Schlessinger

Eduard Dubský

hrabě František Antonín Thun, místodržící

Zdeněk Hodr

ředitel Akademie Eduard Engerth

Otakar Brousek

pruský generál Falkenstein

Jiří Pleskot

nakladatel Belmann

Josef Větrovec

pražský primátor dr. Václav Bělský

Jindřich Narenta

velitel ostrostřelců

Miroslav Zounar

hrabě August Sylva Taroucca

Zdena Kožíková

hraběnka Leopoldina, matka hraběte

Jana Sedlmajerová

Gizela, Augustova první žena

Regina Rázlová

hraběnka Helena

Zdeněk Kampf

kaplan Bedřich, bratr hraběte

Čestmír Řanda

kavárník Kaucký

Ladislav Trojan

profesor Lhota

Robert Vrchota

hodinář Holub

Václav Stýblo

Petr Meixner

Zdeněk Žák

malíř František Ženíšek

Vladimír Krška

prelát Kunz

Milada Karasová (2)

Italka Terezína, Corneliova společnice

Eduard Pavlíček

zřízenec na Akademii

Mirko Musil

vrátný Havránek

Eliška Balzerová

Henrietta Gallenbergová

Helena Kostková

Marie, dcera hraběte

Tomáš Hayer

syn hraběte

Antonín Sedlák

syn hraběte

Karel Šebesta

zákazník v knihkupectví

Jiří Bukvaj

úředník na radnici

Karel Hovorka

úředník na radnici

Emil Iserle

kustod v muzeu

Dana Obrmajerová

Františeka Zavadilová ze Stichovic

Jan Cmíral

dělník u stroje

Václav Fišer

slévárenský mistr

Josef Střecha

sluha u Thuna

Milan Pěkný

pobočník generála

Hana Talpová

hostinská

Richard Záhorský

profesor v muzeu

Milena Kletečková

zpěvačka

Miloš Šustr

výměnkář

Daniela Krajná

modelka Klára

Jiřina Koucká

studentka

Karel Augusta

Němec v hospodě

Václav Kaňkovský

Němec v hospodě

Olga Brotanová

dívka u skleníku

Tomáš Daněk

maskér v kavárně

Zdeněk Mihle

dělník u stroje

Jaroslav Mysliveček

dubl za Petra Kostku – malování

soubor Hanačka

Crew and creators

Director

Josef Mach

Second Unit Director

František Matoušek

Assistant Director

Ivan Čeporan, Jiří Prokeš

Based on

František Kožík (Josef Mánes – román)

Shooting Script

Josef Mach

Director of Photography

Ivan Šlapeta

Second Unit Photography

Richard Valenta

Camera Operator

Oldřich Kovář

Production Designer

Jan Zázvorka

Assistent Production Designer

Jan Sedláček

Set Designer

Jiří Bžoch, Karel Kracík, Dana Smržová

Costume Designer

Fernand Vácha

Assistant Film Editor

Růžena Hejsková

Sound Designer

Pavel Jelínek

Production Manager

Blažej Vráb

Unit Production Manager

Vlastimil Maršálek, Rudolf Mos

Unit Production Manager

Hana Holá

Consultant

PhDr. Olga Macková , Zbyšek Svoboda, Jaroslav Mysliveček

Cooperation

Tamara Kondrysová (klapka), Karel Šebík (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Harry Macourek

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Songs

Vane větřík po lučinách /ze hry Fidlovačka/

Song Composer František Škroup
Writer of Lyrics Josef Kajetán Tyl
Singer Sylva SequensováMilena Kletečková

Hej, Slované

Song Composer lidová slovenská píseň
Writer of Lyrics Samo Tomášik
Singer Petr KostkaEduard CupákLuděk MunzarMiroslav Doležal

Production info

Original Title

Paleta lásky

Czech Title

Paleta lásky

English Title

Palette of Love

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

biography

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1976

Production Year

1976

Production specifications

withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990

Premiere

premiere 28 October 1976 /suitable for youths/ (kino Pasáž, Praha)
premiere 24 December 1976 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

98 min

Original length in metres

2 754 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: Mezinárodní týden historického filmu Córdoba

1978
Córdoba / Spain