The Treasure of Count Chamaré

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1984

Production year

1984

Premiere

1 October 1985

Runtime

78 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, historical

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Poklad hraběte Chamaré

Czech title

Poklad hraběte Chamaré

English title

The Treasure of Count Chamaré

Working title

Poklad

Summary

In between making the Slunce, seno… (Sun, Straw...) trilogy, director Zdeněk Troška found time to bring to the big screen a historical drama very different in tone from his zany provincial comedies. Adapted from a 1930 novel by Alois Jirásek, Poklad hraběte Chamaré (The Treasure of Count Chamaré) is a stylised drama, set at the end of the 18th century, which tells the story of a conflict between conservative ideology and an emerging more progressive view of the world. New doctor Kamenický arrives at the manor house of invalid Countess Chamaré and immediately becomes entangled in a series of local problems. The countess’s husband is obsessed with tracking down some missing treasure, while a fanatical Jesuit hunts for the secret members of the “United Czech Brotherhood”. This successfully mounted production sees Blanka Bohdanová in the role of the countess, Eduard Cupák as the abbé, and Petr Svoboda as Kamenický. Countrywoman Fantina is played by a soon-to-be beloved star of Zdeněk Troška, namely Michaela Kuklová.

Synopsis

The paralysed countess Marie Karolina Chamaré spends her forlorn life in a wheelchair. Her husband has no affection for her any more, preferring to spend most of his time exploring the underground corridors of his castle in search of treasure. The countess's new physician, a young man named Kamenický, saves the life of the Czech Brethrens' emigree Václav Horák on the way to the castle. One of those living at the castle is a former Jesuit - a fanatical abbé who snoops on the villagers in order to reveal the secret members of the Unity of Brethren. He is especially after the old Bartodějský and his beautiful granddaughter Frantina, following her with the help of the old woman villager Celerka and her son Tomᚠwho was rejected by the girl. Doctor Kamenický succeeds in breathing some life into the countess, making her eventually abandon her black attire and better appear with a smile on her face and clad in a beautiful dress at a birthday celebration. Everybody including the count is mesmerized by her beauty. Chamaré invites Renáta, the countess's foster daughter who he fancies, to participate in the treasure discovery. He sets off an explosive charge in a cellar, but an underground river bursts in as a result. Everybody present drowns except Renáta, who is rescued by Kamenický. The abbé finally discovers the "heretical" books and sends Bartodějský and Horák to prison, the latter of whom used to visit the village in order to date his beloved Frantina. Kamenický prepares their escape but Bartodějský refuses to leave at the last moment. Frantina runs for him but she is shot dead by TomᚠCeler. Horák runs away through the morass and Tomáš, pursuing him, drowns. Kamenický leaves with Renáta with whom he has fallen in love. The countess is left alone. Several months later, on October 13, 1781, Emperor Joseph II issues the religious Toleration Act, thus introducing religious freedom to the country.

Film online

Cast

Blanka Bohdanová

hraběnka Marie Karolina Chamaré

Pavel Pípal

hrabě Chamaré

Petr Svoboda

vídeňský lékař MUDr. Kamenický

Patricie Havlíčková

Voice by Sylva Sequensová
Renáta, hraběnčina schovanka

Ivan Jiřík

Tomáš Celer

Jaroslava Tichá

vdova Celerka, Tomášova matka

Zdeněk Martínek

Voice by Václav Kaňkovský
Bartodějský, dědeček Frantiny

Tomáš Hanák

českobratrský emigrant Václav Horák

Valerie Kaplanová

komorná Alžběta

Arnoštka Červená

stará hraběnka, matka Marie

Vladimír Huber

sluha Kryštof

Ivana Ďurčová

Voice by Sylva Sequensová
služka Žanetka

Jaroslav Krajník

sluha Giovanni

Martin Wolf

střelmistr

Josef Adelt

písař

Miroslav Jírů

mladý podkoní

Michal Hengal

mladý dělník

Ota Kovařík

dělník

Libor Kaňka

hudebník

Václav Petráš

hudebník

Jaroslav Štěpnička

hudebník

Jiří Šťastný (2)

hudebník

Stanislav Vích

hudebník

Pavel Zedník

hudebník

M. Šťastná

hudebník

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Magdalena Pivoňková

Assistant Director

Petr Slabý

Based on

Alois Jirásek (Poklad – novela)

Shooting Script

Zdeněk Troška

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Brabec

Second Unit Photography

Jiří Pechar

Camera Operator

Jiří Zavřel

Production Designer

Oldřich Bosák

Assistent Production Designer

Zdeněk Maur

Set Designer

Karel Karas, Karel Kočí, Petr Matouš, Petr Průša, Richard Staněk

Costume Designer

Marie Franková

Film Editor

Eva Bobková

Assistant Film Editor

Helena Lehovcová

Sound Designer

Karel Jaroš

Special Effects

Petr Chmelík (pyrotechnik)

Production Manager

Blažej Vráb

Unit Production Manager

Rudolf Mos, Vladimír Tišer

Unit Production Manager

Přemysl Čermák, Rudolf Mráz

Consultant

dr. Pavel Trpák

Cooperation

Renata Čihulková (klapka), Alena Červená (fotografka), Zdeněk Vávra (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Harry Macourek

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens), Pěvecký sbor Čs. rozhlasu (Music Conducted by Miroslav Košler)

Songs

Plaisir d'Amour

Song Composer Jean Paul Egide Martini
Writer of Lyrics Jean Pierre Claris de Florian
Singer Blanka Bohdanová

Production info

Original Title

Poklad hraběte Chamaré

Czech Title

Poklad hraběte Chamaré

English Title

The Treasure of Count Chamaré

Working Title

Poklad

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, historical

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1984

Production Year

1984

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 3 March 1983
start of filming 2 January 1984
technical Screenplay approved 7 February 1984
end of filming 1 October 1984
projection approval 22 December 1984
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1991

Premiere

premiere 1 October 1985 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

4. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Stanislav Rudolf (vedoucí 4. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

78 min

Original length in metres

2 266 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

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: 20. filmový festival mladých Trutnov

1986
Trutnov / Czechoslovakia
Jaroslav Brabec