The Death of the Beautiful Deer
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1986Production year
1986Premiere
1 September 1987Runtime
91 minDirector
Karel KachyňaCategory
filmGenre
comedy, sad comedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Smrt krásných srncůCzech title
Smrt krásných srncůEnglish title
The Death of the Beautiful DeerSummary
Ota Pavel’s autobiographical book, Smrt krásných srnců (Death of the Beautiful Deer, 1971), offers seven short stories depicting the author’s happy childhood prior to World War Two and the occupation of Czechoslovakia that dramatically affected the fate of his mixed, Jewish family. In 1982, director Miroslav Balajka adapted the short story Králíci s moudrýma očima (The Rabbits with Wise Eyes) as a TV film. Kapři pro Wehrmacht (Carps for the Wehrmacht) had already served as the material for a film by Prague FAMU film school student Karel Smyczek in 1975, and in the same year his fellow student at the school, Vladimír Merta, adapted the short story Smrt krásných srnců. This story of a brave Jewish father, who breaks all Nazi regulations in his way to trespass and hunt a deer to feed his two concentration camp-bound sons, also served as an inspiration for the eponymous 1986 feature film made by Karel Kachyňa. However, the experienced director and screenwriter expanded the narrative by taking motifs from other short stories by Pavel. The protagonist, the father Leo Popper, an enthusiastic fisherman and nature lover, works as a successful traveling salesman for the Electrolux company. But the Nazis turn the lives of the Poppers upside down. It is a tragedy: Leo is dismissed from his job and he and his wife and three sons are ordered to leave Prague. When the two older sons are about to be transported to a concentration camp, Leo takes the decision to risk his life for his malnourished offspring: with the help of a wild Alsatian dog borrowed from a friend – the ferryman Prošek – he hunts deer through the forests that surround his beloved Berounka river. Now only the German patrols stand between him and a return home with his illicit provisions… The poetic hyperbole of Kachyňa´s feature blurs the boundary between the symbolic gesture of resistance and the real act of “fattening” the sons weakened by the misery of war. The overall effect is reinforced by the beautiful camera work of Vladimír Smutný and the masterful acting of Karel Heřmánek (Leo), Marta Vančurová (the mother) and Rudolf Hrušínský (Prošek). Popper’s two older sons are portrayed by Jiří Stach and Jan Jirásek, while Marek Vatler plays the part of the youngest son, referred to as “Prdelka” (“Little buttocks”, a term of affection used by Czechs for small children).
Synopsis
Leo Popper is a passionate fisherman. He most prefers to spend his time with his wife and three little sons by the river Berounka, fishing and observing nature. He especially loves female roe deers, admiring their beautiful eyes. He would never be able to hurt them. But the five-member family must eat, and Leo thus begins with the company Elektrolux as a commercial traveller. He does not do well in the beginning but one day, he happens to save a factory owner called Studený from drowning. Studený not only buys a vacuum cleaner and a fridge from Leo out of gratitude but also recommends him to all his acquaintances. Leo soon becomes the best salesman. He travels throughout the republic with his friend Hejtmánek, who he invites to collaborate and they are increasingly successful with their unclichéd ideas. The two friends and colleagues sometimes get into trouble during their love affairs. They are both handsome and there is thus no lack of adventure. They earn lots of money and Leo eventually fulfills his dream: he buys himself a pond. It is, however, the late 1930s and also the end of the independent republic. The arrival of the German occupiers also means the introduction of racial laws. Leo is Jewish, he must leave his job and the family is forced to move from its Prague flat to the countryside. Finally, even the pond is confiscated from him. Joy abandons the family and is replaced by humiliation and fear. Leo revenges himself on the Germans by taking all the fish from the confiscated pond with his son. One day, the postman brings a letter: the two older sons are under orders to be transported. Leo fears that the boys will not survive the transport because they are very thin and weak. He decides he must procure them some meat. He sets off to his favourite place by the Berounka river and kills a deer with the help of the old Proek's Alsatian. He succeeds in smuggling the meat home despite the danger threatening from the German patrols and finally feeds up his boys.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Karel Heřmánek
tatínek Leo Popper
Marta Vančurová
maminka Herma Popperová
Rudolf Hrušínský
Karel Prošek
Jiří Krampol
boxer Jenda Hejtmánek
Lubor Tokoš
akademický malíř mistr Nejezchleb
Dana Vlková
Irma Korálková
Ladislav Potměšil
ředitel firmy Korálek, Irmin manžel
Oldřich Vlach
továrník Studený
Zuzana Geislerová
Anička Studená, továrníkova žena
Ladislav Trojan
inspektor
Jan Přeučil
inspektor
Marek Valter
Prdelka, syn Popperových
Jiří Strach
Jirka, syn Popperových
Jan Jirásek (2)
Hugo, syn Popperových
Stanislav Zindulka
prodejce Josef Vejvoda
Zdeněk Dítě
starosta
Alois Švehlík
rozvědčík
Bronislav Poloczek
řezník Franc
Jana Synková
sekretářka Gutová
Milan Riehs
JUDr. Jan Jakubíček
Karel Smrž
bubnující posel Kovařík
Valerie Čižmárová
Lili Holečková, paní kapitánová
Jana Paulová
Zita Fialová, paní majorová
Vladimír Pospíšil
major Fiala
Daniela Bakerová
Kalousová
Eugen Jegorov
saxofonista
Jiří Knot
farář
Blanka Lormanová
hospodyně Růženka
Viktor Maurer
ředitel Puppu
Jiřina Jelenská
selka
Gabriela Wilhelmová
majitelka konzumu
Miloslav Štibich
vrátný akademie
Eva Ziliziová
rozvědčíková
Josef Vondráček
Vojtíšek, muž v městečku
Bohumila Dolejšová
Maruška, žena v městečku
Roman Skamene
funebrák
Stanislav Tříska
sedlák
Petr Pelzer
hajný Kalous
Vladimír Hrabánek
montér Beznoska
Ivan Vyskočil
gestapák
Arnošt Proschek
gestapák
Jindřich Hinke
gestapák
Jana Marková
Jakubíčková
Alena Mihulová
Bláža, služka u Studených
Petr Skarke
voják SS Hanz
Igor Smržík
voják SS
Milan Pěkný
voják SS
Miroslav Dubský
voják SS
Romana Kvapilíková
služka
Tomáš Jančařík
úředník/funebrák řidič
Miroslav Krejča
úředník/pytlák
Jiří Hájek (2)
úředník
Petr Svárovský
úředník
Ludvík Pozník
úředník
Jan Kotva
úředník
Jan Krafka
úředník
Eva Asterová
manekýna
Pravoslava Buřvalová
manekýna
Marta Krampolová
manekýna
Vít Pešina
montér
Miloslav Homola
zástupce
Jan Hájek
zástupce
Jindra Kvardová
vzeklá babka
Jan Polívka
hostinský
František Mikeš
nemocný muž
Zdeněk Novotný
pytlák
Radomír Pobořil
muzikant
Pavel Střítezský
muzikant
Karel Vejvoda
muzikant
Eva Weissová
návštěvnice u Studených
Commentary
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Continuity
Based on
Ota Pavel (Smrt krásných srnců – sbírka povídek)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Luboš Kozák, Tomáš Baloun
Consultant
Ing. Miloslav Vach , Ing. František Reiser, Jiří Kloz, Jaroslav Tomsa
Cooperation
Jana Nečasová (klapka), Jitka Bylinská (fotografka), Zdeněk Dukát (fotograf), Miloslav Mirvald (fotograf), Jaroslav Trousil (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)
Choreographer
Michal Urban
Songs
Tisíc mil
Song Composer Adolf Schächter
Writer of Lyrics Jindřich Mlejnek
Singer sbor
U Šímovic skály dva trempové stáli
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Smrt krásných srnců
Czech Title
Smrt krásných srnců
English Title
The Death of the Beautiful Deer
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
comedy, sad comedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1986
Production Year
1986
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 2 December 1985
start of filming 8 January 1986
technical Screenplay approved 13 January 1986
end of filming 10 November 1986
projection approval 1 December 1986
the first film copy approved 13 December 1986
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1995
Premiere
premiere 1 September 1987 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
1. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Jiří Blažek (vedoucí 1. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
91 min
Original length in metres
2 606 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: 2. výroční ceny David pro nejlepší DVD video roku 2005 – DVD Group.cz
2006
Plzeň / Czech Republic
BONTONFILM a.s.
Vítěz
Festival: Mezinárodní festival filmů s židovskou tematikou Montpellier
1988
Montpellier / France
Vítěz
Event: 17. ročník čtenářské ankety týdeníku Květy ve spolupráci s Československou televizí a Ústřední půjčovnou filmů
1988
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Rudolf Hrušínský st.
Vítěz
Event: 17. ročník čtenářské ankety týdeníku Květy ve spolupráci s Československou televizí a Ústřední půjčovnou filmů
1988
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Karel Heřmánek
Vítěz
Festival: 38. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´87
1987
77 měst / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 38. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´87
1987
77 měst / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 25. festival českých a slovenských filmů Bratislava
1987
Bratislava / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Event: Československá nominace na Cenu americké Akademie filmových věd a umění Oscar 1987
1987
Praha / Czechoslovakia
