Love from the Arcade
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1984Production year
1984Premiere
1 July 1985Runtime
73 minDirector
Jaroslav SoukupCategory
filmGenre
crimeTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Láska z pasážeCzech title
Láska z pasážeEnglish title
Love from the ArcadeWorking title
Láska z pasáže LunaSummary
In the 1980s the metropolis of Prague provided inspiration for a number of mildly socially critical pictures. Alongside the edgier Bony a klid (Big Money, 1987) by director Vít Olmer, Jaroslav Soukup also took on the crime genre in 1984. Láska z pasáže (Love from the Arcade) is a classic tale of a young man on a downward spiral. The protagonist of the narrative – young window cleaner Pavel Kříž – dreams of easy money and from a small-time con artist is rapidly transformed into an accomplished tipster working for the thief Roby’s gang. This change brings the girl Jana into the teenager’s life but soon the loved-up protagonist finds himself vainly trying to protect her from his unscrupulous pals. The moralistic ending sees Pavel attempting to no avail to come to terms with the shadows of the past: a “deserved” tragic fate awaits him…Miroslav Vaic drew on dramatic material of his own as screenwriter. Vaic regularly collaborated with Soukup and had worked on the director’s debut short from the portmanteau film Boty plné vody (Shoes Full of Water, 1976). Within the framework of a genre story, Soukup succeeded in capturing the moral decrepitude that accompanied teenagers’ coming of age in the 1980s. Love from the Arcade is a film “about young people for young people” whose creation was supported by the socialist state. However, it is also a bitter testimony of life without a future. Pavel recognises that honest work will not deliver his expectations from life. That said, the loyalty of his dodgy pals is non-existent… The lead role was taken by Lukáš Vaculík, who Soukup had previously cast in his vocational school comedy Vítr v kapse (Wind in the Pocket, 1982). The blonde idol of his day appeared in that picture alongside Sagvan Tofi, as he did in other Soukup films Kamarád do deště (A Good Pal, 1988) and Kamarád do deště II – Příběh z Brooklynu (Good Pal II – Story from Brooklyn, 1992). Vaculík also performed in the director’s costume drama Divoká srdce (Famous Duels, 1989). Tatiana Kulíšková, who played Jana, was in Soukup’s Discopříběh (Discostory, 1987).
Synopsis
After his graduation exam Pavel Kříž leaves the cramped flat of his mother, where he lives with also his married sister and her family. He buys a flatlet, he works as a window cleaner, and he spends his free time with a bunch of the thief Roby. He makes his salary higher by false accounting of unperformed work, but mainly he gives tips to Roby about flats suitable for robbing. He gets certain percentage for these services too. One day he gets a colleague Jana Hálková. She soon sees through Pavel's activities. From one robbery he gets a share twenty thousand crowns. He pays up half of his debt to Kotapiš the younger, from whom he borrowed money for the flat and he makes a big party to which he also invites Jana. Roby bothers her and the girl runs away. Kotapiš's older brother rudely demands the rest of the debt and Pavel therefore dives in various bad actions. But nothing is going well. The robbery in a flat of a rich surgeon is stopped by a watchful neighbour, and the called in police catches two members of the bunch – Kotapiš, and Karel. The others suspect Pavel that he gave them in and they beat him up. But during a confrontation at the criminal department Pavel does not reveal anybody and his alibi are confirmed by Jana. That night they make love for the first time and Pavel gets afraid that the bunch could harm her. He does not succeed in protecting her, the bunch kidnaps her and they lock her up in a storehouse. The desperate Pavel sells his flatlet and pays up his debt. But the police break into the storehouse. On the escape Kotapiš crashes Pavel down by car. Jana finds him on the stairs, but she cannot help him anymore. The called in doctor states his death. The members of the bunch are arrested and the unhappy Jana leaves to her parents.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Lukáš Vaculík
čistič oken Pavel Kříž
Tatiana Kulíšková
studentka Jana Hálková
Vladimír Dlouhý
barman Roman
Marek Vašut
zloděj Roby
Miloš Vávra
Kotapiš starší
Ondřej Vetchý
zloděj Karel
Jiří Tomek
kapitán VB Čermák
Vítězslav Jandák
bankéř-skořápkář
Svatava Hubeňáková
Pavlova matka
Míla Myslíková
vedoucí provozovny Úklidu
Světlana Nálepková
Alena
Vladimír Hlavatý
penzista
Svatopluk Schuller
zloděj, Kotapišův mladší bratr
Zdeněk Dítě
vedoucí prodejny
Božena Franková
vrátná na koleji
Jindřich Světnica
barman Ruda
Miroslav Babuský
zloděj Džusbery
Christine Catherine Sey
černoška Kwan
Miroslav Zounar
portýr
Radoslava Boháčová
studentka na koleji
Zdeněk David
student v posteli
Akram Staněk
student u telefonu
Regina Lodrová
Pavlova sestra
Ladislav Potměšil
Pavlův švagr
Zdeněk Ornest
MUDr. Koutný
Bořík Procházka
lékař z pohotovosti
Jan Schmidt
poručík VB Hodek
Jiří Knot
kuchař
Čestmír Řanda ml.
mladík s bony
Lena Birková
úřednice
Ivo Helikar
svobodník
Marcel Rošetzký
mladík
Jana Špaňurová
dívka na koleji
Zdeněk Deyl
pomocník bankéře
Karel Knechtl
pomocník bankéře
Jiřina Jelenská
vedoucí samoobsluhy
Jan Antonín Duchoslav
mladík
Boris Ingr
mladík
Pavel Grégr
nadstrážmistr VB
Oldřich Semerák
nadstrážmistr VB
Jiří Valšuba
saniťák
František Jákl
příslušník VB
Petr Jákl
příslušník VB
Jindřich Sejk
příslušník VB
Jan Kadlec st.
Němec
Jan Kriesman
kriminalista
Zbyněk Krákora
kriminalista
Jiří Sládek
kriminalista
Ludvík Wolf
kriminalista
J. Kočí
kriminalista
Jiří Kraus
řidič náklaďáku/řidič VB
K. Šnajberk
taxikář
Miroslav Jíra
dubl za Miroslava Babuského
Zdeněk Krumpl
dubl za Marka Vašuta
Pavel Myslík
dubl za Lukáše Vaculíka
Vítek Pokorný
mladík v pasáži
Michaela Gebertová
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Jan Hodný, Bohumil Kadlec, Jan Klíma
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Bohdan Kysil, Martina Krýslová
Unit Production Manager
Pavel Bačkovský, Josef Štambach
Consultant
kpt. JUDr. Zdeněk Chodora
Cooperation
Kateřina Pavelková (klapka), Hana Brajerová (klapka), Miloš Schmiedberger (fotograf), Jan Hraběta
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Songs
Největší z nálezů a ztrát
Song Composer Michal DavidFrantišek Janeček
Writer of Lyrics Boris Janíček
Singer Michal DavidKroky Františka Janečka
Zabitej čas
Song Composer Michal DavidFrantišek Janeček
Writer of Lyrics Boris Janíček
Singer Michal DavidKroky Františka Janečka
Atlantída
Song Composer Miro Žbirka
Writer of Lyrics Kamil Peteraj
Singer Miro Žbirka
Production info
Original Title
Láska z pasáže
Czech Title
Láska z pasáže
English Title
Love from the Arcade
Working Title
Láska z pasáže Luna
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
crime
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1984
Production Year
1984
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 30 November 1983
start of filming 2 January 1984
technical Screenplay approved 20 January 1984
end of filming 4 September 1984
projection approval 27 September 1984
withdrawal from distribution 1 October 1993
Premiere
premiere 1 July 1985 /unsuitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Josef Císař (vedoucí 2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
73 min
Original length in metres
2 101 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
Event: 15. ročník čtenářské ankety týdeníku Květy, Československé televize a Ústřední půjčovny filmů
1986
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Lukáš Vaculík
Vítěz
Festival: 23. festival českých a slovenských filmů Praha
1985
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Ludvík Široký
Vítěz
Festival: 23. festival českých a slovenských filmů Praha
1985
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Richard Valenta
Vítěz
Festival: 23. festival českých a slovenských filmů Praha
1985
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jaroslav Soukup
