A Story of Love and Honour
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1977Production year
1976—1977Premiere
27 January 1978Runtime
98 minDirector
Otakar VávraCategory
filmGenre
biographyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Příběh lásky a ctiCzech title
Příběh lásky a ctiEnglish title
A Story of Love and HonourWorking title
Román lásky a ctiSummary
After completing his extensive historical trilogy – Dny zrady (Days of Betrayal, 1973), Sokolovo (Sokolovo, 1974) and Osvobození Prahy (The Liberation of Prague, 1975) – veteran director Otakar Vávra opted for a more intimate theme in this 1978 film – the platonic relationship between the writers Jan Neruda and Karolina Světlá. Screenwriter Jiří Šotola created this romance about a pair of exceptional and lonely human beings on the basis of their documented love correspondence. The audience follows Neruda and Světlá as they carefully seek mutual understanding in a world chained by social conventions… Miroslav Ondříček’s camera work beautifully evokes the film’s depiction of 19th century Prague during the Czech National Revival. The principal parts in Vavra’s somewhat abstractly conceived romance are performed by Jiří Bartoška and Božidara Turzonová, while Consuela Morávková takes on the role of Karolina’s sister and Jiří Pleskot that of her husband.
Synopsis
It's Christmas Eve of 1861. So far unsuccessful poet, but already renown journalist - twenty-seven-year old Jan Neruda - calls on the family of professor Mužák unexpectedly. Secretly he hands over a letter to the host's wife Johanna, a beginning woman-writer who has chosen a pen-name Karolina Světlá. The handy and wild young man fell in passionate love with the beautiful woman, a little senior to him. The marriage of the Mužáks has been, after the death of their only child, for ten years only formal. However, Johanna does not take heart to accept the liaison for she knows it would discredit her in a Prague society. The poverty and social isolation of the emancipated and intelligent woman-writer Božena Němcová leading to her premature death is a sufficient memento. Neruda abandons his fiancée Anna Holinová, Johanna agrees to correspondence relationship only and persuades Neruda to pay his attention in public to the very young Lidunka. Letters between Neruda and Světlá are delivered by Johanna's devoted old-maidish friend Marie Němečková. The only Johanna's confidante is her sister Žofie for whom she is copying the whole correspondence. Before departing to summer holiday stay in the country Johanna attempts secretly to help Neruda to get out of debt by selling her jewel. Marie does not stand the pressure of Prague gossips and a scandal breaks. Mužák makes Johanna burn down the letters and makes a scene to Neruda. It is only a copied correspondence that witnesses long past emotions. Johanna's last letter of apology, full of love, the intimidated Marie does not hand over to Neruda and till the end of life the couple doesn't meet again in privacy.
Photos
Cast
Božidara Turzonovová
Karolina Světlá, vlastním jménem Johanna Mužáková
Jiří Bartoška
spisovatel Jan Neruda
Consuela Morávková
Žofie Podlipská, Karolinina sestra
Jiří Pleskot
profesor Mužák, Karolinin manžel
Jana Smrčková
Marie Němečková
Jiří Adamíra
MUDr. Josef Podlipský, Žofiin manžel
Jana Riháková
Josefína Mourková
Světlana Nálepková
Barbora Křížková
Ilona Vaňková
Lidunka Schmidtová
Jana Preissová
Anna Holinová, Nerudova snoubenka
Kateřina Burianová
služka Tonka
Marie Brožová
Nerudova matka
Josef Langmiler
kanovník Štulc
Oldřich Vízner
spisovatel Jakub Arbes
Jiří Samek
politik a novinář dr. Karel Sladkovský
Vladimír Šmeral
Eustach Rott, Karolinin otec
Vlasta Jelínková
Anna Rottová, Karolinina matka
Jana Břežková
herečka Libická
Ferdinand Krůta
švec František Pokorný
Josef Chvalina
klenotník Alois Pokorný
Miroslav Masopust
JUDr. Mattuš
Jiří Bruder
policajt
Antonín Loužecký
policajt
Pavel Trávníček
redaktor Schwarz
Vlastimil Zavřel
redaktor Vávra
Václav Babka
poštovní úředník
Vladimír Krška
měšťan
Jiří Plachý
Liblinský
Vladimír Hlavatý
starý profesor
Miloš Vavruška
hostinský
Vlastimila Vlková
šatnářka v kavárně
Jindřich Hinke
student
Petr Svoboda
student
František Struska
Link
David Ondříček
synek Podlipských
Libuše Komancová
služka u Havlinů
Zuzana Bohdanecká
tanečnice na plese
Martina Brynychová
tanečnice na plese
Milan Březina
tanečník na plese
Štěpánka Diblíková
tanečnice na plese
Ludmila Dvořáková
tanečnice na plese
Marie Dvořáková
tanečnice na plese
František Ehrenberger
tanečník na plese
Marcela Ertlová
tanečnice na plese
Ivana Fabingerová
tanečnice na plese
Eva Ferlesová
tanečnice na plese
Květa Hanušová
tanečnice na plese
Irena Hollová
tanečnice na plese
Jiří Hortenský
tanečník na plese
Hyka Hunyad
tanečník na plese
Zuzana Hušinová
tanečnice na plese
Renáta Chadtová
tanečnice na plese
Jaroslav Kalvach
tanečník na plese
František Karas
tanečník na plese
Jiří Koten
tanečník na plese
Irena Krajčíková
tanečnice na plese
Pavel Krofta
tanečník na plese
Alena Kutinová
tanečnice na plese
Zdeněk Lavička
tanečník na plese
Ladislav Lazna
tanečník na plese
Monika Letenská
tanečnice na plese
Hana Lhotová
tanečnice na plese
Ferdinand Lucek
tanečník na plese
Libuše Maňáková
tanečnice na plese
Jana Mikulecká
tanečnice na plese
Petr Nedvěd
tanečník na plese
Roman Novotný
tanečník na plese
Libuše Pechová
tanečnice na plese
Ivana Peterková
tanečnice na plese
Otka Plavcová
tanečnice na plese
Renáta Podzimková
tanečnice na plese
Antonín Pokorný
tanečník na plese
Bedřich Prokůpek
tanečník na plese
Ivana Revková
tanečnice na plese
Petr Režnický
tanečník na plese
Miroslav Sirový
tanečník na plese
Marcel Slavík
tanečník na plese
Eva Stejkosová
tanečnice na plese
Jiří Sýkora (2)
tanečník na plese
Vilém Sýkora
tanečník na plese
Jaroslav Šmahel
tanečník na plese
Petra Šolcová
tanečnice na plese
Jan Šrámek
tanečník na plese
Petr Šrůtek
tanečník na plese
Martin Šula
tanečník na plese
Yvetta Tichá
tanečnice na plese
Rostislav Tomeš
tanečník na plese
Arnošt Toms
tanečník na plese
Jaroslav Uličný
tanečník na plese
Věra Vávrová
tanečnice na plese
Jaroslav Votava (2)
tanečník na plese
Jiřina Votavová
tanečnice na plese
Zuzana Wiesnerová
tanečnice na plese
Lukáš Zíta
tanečník na plese
Jiří Lír
pán
Commentary
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Milan Kadlec
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Based on
Jan Neruda (Jan Neruda – Karolina Světlá – korespondence), Karolina Světlá (Karolina Světlá – Jan Neruda – korespondence)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Eva Slívová, Vladimír Schejbal, Karel Vaňásek
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Cooperation
Ivana Malíková (klapka), Karel Ješátko (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Selected Music
Bedřich Smetana (Pochod studentských legií)
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Choreographer
Jiří Blažek, Helena Karasová (taneční spolupráce)
Production info
Original Title
Příběh lásky a cti
Czech Title
Příběh lásky a cti
English Title
A Story of Love and Honour
Working Title
Román lásky a cti
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
biography
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1977
Production Year
1976—1977
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 25 November 1976
start of filming 3 December 1976
technical Screenplay approved 16 December 1976
end of filming 11 July 1977
projection approval 21 July 1977
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1988
Premiere
premiere 27 January 1978 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
98 min
Original length in metres
2 819 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
