The Night of the Emerald Moon

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1984

Production year

1983—1984

Premiere

1 August 1985

Runtime

83 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, psychological

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Noc smaragdového měsíce

Czech title

Noc smaragdového měsíce

English title

The Night of the Emerald Moon

Summary

Three estranged brothers meet in a typical mountain village at the funeral of their mother: local bus driver Cyril, biophysical institute director Jan, and criminologist Vojta. Scientist Jan is experiencing marital problems due to his cold, rational approach. While in his family home, he harks back to a youthful past. But such attempts at nostalgia only serve to open up old wounds between the three family members, who struggle to let bygones be bygones. This psychological drama, directed by Václav Matějka, and inspired by a story from author Jiří Křenek, stars Radoslav Brzobohatý, Jerzy Trela and Pavol Višňovský as the three troubled siblings. Božidara Turzonovová and Magda Vášáryová play two of the wives, accompanying the brothers on this funereal odyssey.

Synopsis

The old granny Kysučanová died in the seclusion of the mountains in the midst of winter. Her son Cyril, who lived at her cottage with his wife Marie, sends a telegram to his older brother Janek, the director of a biophysical institute, and his younger brother Vojta who is in prison for fighting. Professor Janek Kysučan is a dispassionate scientist totally immersed in his work. He decides to set off to the mountains and has a quarrel with his young wife Slávka because of that. He cannot find a way to those closest to him. This is why his first wife Jarmila and their student son Honza left him. The imprisoned Vojta receives a pass to attend the funeral. Janek, contemplating at the mother's coffin, casts his mind back to his childhood in the period of the Nazi occupation and is looking forward to talking to his brothers in the evening. But Vojta prefers to go to a pub. The stonecutters from a quarry, who also work as occassional gravediggers, have a quarrel with Janek and subsequently refuse to dig his mother's grave. Janek is at his father's grave and recalls his death in a quarry accident. The mother's only wish was to be buried next to her husband. She bequeathed the cottage to Vojta which makes Cyril angry. Marie moreover reproaches him for the abortion which he forced her into years ago and which resulted in her infertility. Janek's Slávka arrives unexpectedly and tries to get close to Vojta, sensing that they are both losers in a way. Janek contemplates some old photographs and sends Slávka away. Vojta and Janek then dig the mother's grave themselves. Janek learns that his son Honza often used to visit the grandmother, and he blames himself for not letting him know about her death. Cyril comes to the cemetery, bringing his brothers food. The entire family gathers at the funeral. The gravediggers wait for Vojta at a railway station and everything ends up in aby fight. Janek returns to an empty flat finding out that the young Slávka has left him. Marie wants to adopt a child but Cyril strongly objects and even hits her. Janek's son comes to visit his father.

Note

Jiří Křenek was awarded second prize for the film short story in the competition of the Czechoslovak Film and the Czech Literary Fund

Cast

Radoslav Brzobohatý

ředitel biofyzikálního ústavu profesor Janek Kysučan

Jerzy Trela

Voice by Karel Hlušička
řidič ČSAD Cyril, Jankův bratr

Božidara Turzonovová

Marie, Cyrilova manželka

Magda Vášáryová

Slávka, Jankova druhá manželka

Pavol Višňovský

Voice by Ladislav Mrkvička
Vojta, Jankův a Cyrilův bratr

Zlata Adamovská

maminka Tereza Kysučanová za mlada

Milena Dvorská

Jarmila, Jankova první manželka

Pavel Nový

kameník Perleťák

Věra Kubánková

maminka Kysučanová ve stáří

Pavel Kříž

Honza, Jankův syn

Valerie Kaplanová

stařenka Boráková

Veronika Dostalová

Terka

Zdeněk Martínek

hostinský Lojza

Václav Helšus

Jankův otec

Oldřich Slavík

docent Mařák, profesorův asistent

Jiří Tomek

ředitel

Karel Vochoč

předseda JZD

Václav Kopta

Janek patnáctiletý

David Marvan

Janek devítiletý

Jan Novák

Janek šestiletý

Yvetta Blanarovičová

cikánka-servírka

Zora Božinová

hospodská

Martin Kolár

voják s knírkem

Bohuslav Ličman

muž v placaté čepici

Lucie Juřičková

spící studentka

Milan Bouška

důstojník v záloze

Martin Vedral

pihovatý kluk

Pavel Bílek

Cyril devítiletý

Jan Gottwald

Cyril pětiletý

Josef Grogůrek

Tomáš

Věra Novotná (2)

Tomášova žena

Milan Charvát

Fank

Tomáš Blažek

kluk

Šárka Joklová

dívka

Ludvík Klunke

Vojta pětiletý

Václav Král

hostinský

Miloslav Kopečný

brýlatý muž

Otto Liška

třicátník

Zdeněk Mlčoch

strážný

Simona Vrbická

Honzova dívka

Vojtěch Godla

Aladár

Iva Petříčková

žena v kuchyni

Pavel Půta

letec

Marta Richterová

servírka, dcera hostinského Lojzy

Emil Šnajdr

harmonikář

Libuše Štědrá

čtyřicetiletá žena

Petr Hoštálek

posádka haklu

Jiří Hruška

posádka haklu

Martin Kordina

posádka haklu

Zdeněk Kouselka

posádka haklu

Katarina Janosyová

dělnice

Jar. Bína

hudebník-dechovka

Mir. Bláha

hudebník-dechovka

Josef Bobek

hudebník-dechovka

Stanislav Bolina

hudebník-dechovka

Jan Čihák

hudebník-dechovka

Jaroslav Mach (2)

hudebník-dechovka

Luboš Jerie

hudebník

Miroslav Kitler

hudebník

Josef Koutník

hudebník

František Maruška

hudebník

Miroslav Matějka

hudebník

František Okurka

hudebník

Miroslav Pažout

hudebník

Jiří Prokop

hudebník

Jaroslav Růta

hudebník

Karel Šimáně

hudebník

Josef Šulc (2)

hudebník

Jaromír Švarc (hudebník)

hudebník

Dubbing

Petr Pospíchal

hlas lékaře

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Martin Mahdal

Assistant Director

Jan Prokop

Based on

Jiří Křenek (Noc smaragdového měsíce – filmová povídka)

Shooting Script

Václav Matějka

Director of Photography

Jiří Macháně

Second Unit Photography

Jiří Krejčík

Camera Operator

Ivan Šimůnek

Production Designer

Vladimír Labský

Assistent Production Designer

František Císař

Set Designer

Karel Kracík, Miloš Sršeň, Milan Šefrna

Costume Designer

Jarmila Konečná

Film Editor

Josef Valušiak

Assistant Film Editor

Jan Svoboda, Jana Šimonová

Sound Designer

Jiří Hora

Special Effects

Jiří Šimunek, Ludvík Malý, Boris Masník

Production Manager

Jaromír Lukáš

Unit Production Manager

Martin Slavíček

Consultant

Zdeněk Karpfel, člen korespondent ČSAV, genpor. Ing. Juraj Ľaľo

Cooperation

Martina Petrů (klapka), Jaromír Komárek (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří F. Svoboda

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Choreographer

Jan Hartmann

Songs

Když se buček zelená

Singer sbor

U našeho jazera

Production info

Original Title

Noc smaragdového měsíce

Czech Title

Noc smaragdového měsíce

English Title

The Night of the Emerald Moon

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, psychological

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1984

Production Year

1983—1984

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 31 August 1983
start of filming 21 November 1983
technical Screenplay approved 21 December 1983
end of filming 11 September 1984
projection approval 27 September 1984
withdrawal from distribution 1 January 1990

Premiere

premiere 1 August 1985 /unsuitable for youths/

Creative Group

5. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Miloslav Vydra (vedoucí 5. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

83 min

Original length in metres

2 377 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66, 1:2,35

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: 23. festival českých a slovenských filmů Praha

1985
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Václav Matějka

Vítěz

Festival: 23. festival českých a slovenských filmů Praha

1985
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jiří Křenek

Vítěz

Event: Vyzývací soutěž Československého filmu a Českého literárního fondu na původní filmovou povídku

1982
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jiří Křenek