In 1986 fledging actor Vladimír Javorský appeared in a brace of films by noteworthy directors – Juraj Herz’s stylised fairy tale Přezůvky štěstí (Galoshes of Fortune) and Karel Smyczk’s casual drama Krajina s nábytkem (Landscape with Furniture). His lead role in Smyczk’s tragicomic picture launched the career of Javorský, then 24. The director had previously specialised in films with younger teen characters. However, in Landscape with Furniture Javorský’s lead character is the carefree 19-year-old Zdeněk, who decides to take responsibility for unplanned fatherhood. A conservatory student who works as a postman during the holidays, he has just found out that Eva, a summer fling, is pregnant. He resolves to adapt to his life to the new role, though this does not alter the fact he is not the father of the irresponsible Eva’s child. Zdeněk decides to look after little Tomášek, utterly transforming his hitherto existence… The story of a naive and idealistic young man who manages to stand on his own feet and ceases to succumb to the manipulation of those around him or his own illusions explores the subject of “single fatherhood”, which in the mid-1980s was seen as unusual and attractive. It was embodied in book form by novelist Zdeněk Rosenbaum, while screenwriter Milan Ležák developed the original into a credible film narrative. Smyczk’s measured direction provides a framework for a high-quality cast in which alongside Javorský Yvetta Kornová shines as the untrustworthy Eva. Kornová had earlier been in the director’s debut Housata (Gosling) (1979), while Michal Suchánek, who played the protagonist’s pal Franta, was among his favourite actors (1980’s Jen si tak trochu písknout [Just to Whistle a Bit] and Sněženky a machři [Snowdrops and Daredevils] from 1982). The academic painter Douda, whose Zdeněk believes has a tragic artistic fate, was portrayed by Petr Čepek. Director Evald Schorm appeared as Vondruška, the protagonist’s professor.
Nineteen year old conservatoire student, Zdeněk, has a summer job in his native village as a postman. He meets the artist, Douda, a new owner of a dilapidated seclusion. He admires his paintings, although these are lonely landscapes without people. The artist offers him a swap: for a landscape and furniture, he wants a rope. Zdeněk likes Alena, a leader from the children's camp, but coincidentally he becomes a one night stand for her quite unattractive friend, Eva. The next day, Zdeněk glimpses a hanged man in the artist's barn. He thinks it is his fault and, in shock, he hides Douda's painting in the attic. After the holiday he comes back to Prague. The piano teacher accepts him to the school orchestra. With his friend Franta, he plays in a jazz club. Once Alena is waiting for him and takes him to Eva, who is pregnant by him. Zdeněk is shamefaced, he does not feel anything for the girl, but he is decent and understands what is expected of him. But Eva refuses to marry him. For the future parents, Franta arranges a place to stay in the former inn, which is to be renovated. The kind Mrs. Brátková, the landlady, helps the couple to furnish the modest household. Eva and Zdeněk grow close and they also experience happy moments of understanding. Once, after Zdeněk returns home, he finds Eva's former bunch at home. After a fight, he throws them out. Sunday evening, with a rucksack full of food from his parents, Zdeněk comes home. He learns from Brátková, that Eva is in the maternal hospital. He is worried about her; she was allegedly in the seventh month. She gives birth to a boy, Tomá, but the baby is full-term, so it is definitely not Zdeněk's son. The disappointed young man leaves with Franta on a concert tour. When he returns to Eva in the bleak, cold place, he decides to take care of them because of the child. The helpful teacher allows him to make money after school. However, the family does not function. Once, after a quarrel, when Eva gets drunk, she disappears. As Zdeněk does not want the child to be placed in a children's home, he starts to take care of Tomáek alone, with help of Brátková. When the little boy gets sick and has to go to hospital, Zdeněk's parents come to visit him and they find out he is not the real father. Despite their reasoning to give up the child, Zdeněk, on the contrary, leaves the conservatoire and takes care of the boy full-time. This goes on for four years. They live in a small studio and they manage well. Even his parents accepted the "grandchild". When Zdeněk visits the village, he finds that Douda is alive. His house is well repaired and the artist makes commercially successful paintings. Years ago, Zdeněk was shocked by a dummy which was hanging there to terrify the opening exhibition guests. Among the scattered drawings, Zdeněk glimpses Eva, nude. The artist admits he used to know her. Zdeněk grows close with Lenka, the lonely mother of small Barborka. Together, with little Tomáek, he is awaiting Lenka's visit in Prague. But instead of them, Eva rings at the door. She got married and wants her child back. Zdeněk resolutely refuses that. Eva says he has no right to Tomáek. But Zdeněk knows that, although he is not Tomá's father, he became his mother.
listonoš a student Zdeněk Klouček
pionýrská vedoucí Eva
akademický malíř Jaroslav Douda
prodavačka Růžena Kloučková, Zdeňkova matka
Klouček, Zdeňkův otec
profesor Vondruška
František Sládek, Zdeňkův spolužák
Voice by Veronika Jeníková
Alena, Evina kamarádka
Brátková
Voice by Ilona Svobodová
Lenka
číšnice Markéta
sociální pracovnice
student ekonomie Bursík
pedagog
Miluška
Pavla
Tomášek, Evin syn
Barborka, Lenčina dcera
hudebník
dvojče
dvojče
zdravotní sestra v porodnici
Pavlina babička
podporučík VB
cvičitelka Eliška
Ondra, Evin kumpán
Cígo, Evin kumpán
Káča, Evin kumpán
Segi, Evin kumpán
matka žáka LŠU
dětský lékař
opilec Kubíček
Dlabáček
tramp
trampova žena
hudebník
hudebník
zdravotní sestra
mladá maminka
lékařka
lékařka
zpěvák
drbna
mladá prodavačka
Šourek
Šourková
Dáša
strojvůdce
zahrádkář
teta Evy
Karel, Miluščin manžel
chlapík
potápěč
potápěč
řidič
milenec
vrchní
dubl za Vladimíra Javorského
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
herec v divadle
Zuzana Hojdová, Jan Prokop
Jarmila Čajová, Igor Chaun
Zdeněk Rosenbaum (Krajina s nábytkem – kniha)
Milan Albich
Jaroslav Česal, Karel Kočí, Petr Průša
Ivana Chobotová, Milada Věchetová, Daniela Stašková
Vojtěch Eckert, Karel Velebný
Eva Palečková (klapka), Zdeněk Dukát (fotograf)
Johann Kuhnau (Sonáta F dur), Ludwig van Beethoven
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), Emil Viklický
Song Composer Zdeněk Barták
Writer of Lyrics Jaroslav Machek
Singer Hana Zagorová
Song Composer tradicionál
Writer of Lyrics Ivo Fischer
Singer dětský sbor
Song Composer Vítězslav HádlLadislav Pikart
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Hana ZagorováStanislav HložekPetr Kotvald
Krajina s nábytkem
Krajina s nábytkem
Landscape with Furniture
film
featuretheatrical distribution
social, comedy
Czechoslovakia
1986
1985—1986
literary Screenplay approved 25 January 1985
start of filming 25 March 1985
technical Screenplay approved 27 May 1985
end of filming 4 April 1986
projection approval 22 April 1986
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1991
premiere 1 March 1987 /suitable for youths/
5. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Miloslav Vydra (vedoucí 5. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)
feature film
93 min
2 649 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech
Festival: 9. festival české a slovenské filmové veselohry Nové Město nad Metují
1987
Nové Město nad Metují / Czechoslovakia
Milan Ležák
Festival: 25. festival českých a slovenských filmů Bratislava
1987
Bratislava / Czechoslovakia