A Magpie in the Hand
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1987Production year
1982—1983, 1987Premiere
1 February 1991Runtime
96 minDirector
Juraj HerzCategory
filmGenre
allegoryTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Straka v hrstiCzech title
Straka v hrstiEnglish title
A Magpie in the HandSummary
Director Juraj Herz experimented with numerous genres in the 1980s, from his adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale Přezůvky štěstí (The Galoshes of Fortune, 1986) to the comedy Sladké starosti (Sweet Troubles, 1984), a mafia film parody Buldoci a třešně (Bulldogs and Cherries, 1981), the drama Zastihla mě noc (Caught by Night, 1985), and the sci-fi horror flick Upír z Feratu (The Vampire of Ferato, 1981). Yet the most unusual film he created during the decade, which culminated with the director’s emigration to West Germany (1987), was Straka v hrsti (A Magpie in the Hand, 1988). Publicist, theatrologist and screenwriter Antonín Přidal adapted and updated a medieval play called Mastičkář (The Quack, or The Ointment Seller) to fit Herz’s needs while preserving its carnival-like theatricality. Even though the story appears to be timeless, the result was an encrypted “play of love and hate” satirising contemporary social and political practices. The medieval marketplace is adjacent to a modern-day wasteyard and the protagonists are as much actors as characters and timeless figures of the Middle Ages representing everlasting, persistent human traits. Young Rubín (Jan Hrušínský) is in love with thieving drifter Straka (Györgyi Tarján), while unfaithful townswoman Anděla (Zdeňka Sajfertová) and sly quack Severín (Boris Rösner) attempt to obtain a priceless pearl stolen from an old moneylender (Leoš Suchařípa). However, what the pearl brings is misery and frustration. A gang of highwaymen on motorbikes, royal pages and a group of travelling thespians all add to the colourfulness of the “eternal” society that passes through the ages, complete with all its desires, loving and hating, despite the changing costumes and shifting sceneries... The thinly veiled attacks of the political collage that mixes the past with the present with the rhythm of carnival ran into trouble even during the making of the film. To make things a tad worse, the soundtrack was by the Pražský výběr band, which was banned from public performance at the time (one song title gave the film its name). The film production also ground to a halt while an investigation of alleged lewdness was under way. Straka v hrsti (A Magpie in the Hand) eventually went straight into the censor’s vault, never to appear on the silver screen. It finally reached audiences after 1989 on video cassettes.
Synopsis
Some young dancers change back into everyday clothes which was scattered all over the floor, and in next to no time find themselves in a medieval market. A pickpocket and tramp named Straka [which is Czech for magpie], a young man named Rubín, who is in love with Straka, the cunning quack doctor Severín and the luscious burgher Anděla, repudiated by her husband - an old usurer - fight for survival in the rough environment. They all desire a rare pearl which Straka took from the moneylender. The pearl is stolen from her by Rubín, but it is in turn soon seized by Severín who escapes. Anděla, Straka and Rubín set off after him. In an abandoned quarry, they discover the body of a young man called Student with his throat cut and meet some itinerant actors and a gang of bandits on motorcycles, headed by the highwayman Zima. The gang saves Severín from a trap pit and come to believe that he crushed the pearl and has made a miraculous ointment out of it which they begin selling at markets. During their further wanderings, they arrive at the place of a bloody fight between royal armigers and Zima's gang. They find shelter on a farmstead where they come into conflict with the actors who compete with them at the markets. But Zima's gang soon storms in, plundering the farmstead and later shooting the villagers with a machine gun. Zima suffers from toothache, but the "miraculous pearl ointment" does not help. Zima punishes the quartet, tying them to poles. They all, however, gradually break free from their bonds. The actors hide them among themselves from Zima who is following Straka because of the pearls. Then, they continue journeying. Car lights begin swooshing around them. As the group is walking on a grassy motorway central reservation, the figures slowly fade away and the only thing remaining is the stream of headlights.
Note
The movie was filmed in 1982, post-synchronization was completed on November 26, 1982, editing and mixing up to December 30, 1983. It was finished after further editing in December 1987. The movie was distributed from the year 1988 on videocasettes produced by the Central Films Rental (Ústřední půjčovna filmů, ÚPF). The film was put into cinemas in February 1991.
Photos
Cast
Györgyi Tarján
Voice by Dana Bartůňková
kapsářka zvaná Straka
Zdeňka Sajfertová
měštka Anděla
Leoš Suchařípa
lichvář, muž Anděly
Jan Hrušínský
Rubín, lichvářův sluha
Boris Rösner
mastičkář Severín
Karel Heřmánek
student
Vladimír Hauser
Zjizvenec, kumpán Straky
Miroslav Donutil
Nosatec, kumpán Straky
Boris Hybner
herec syn
Ivan Podobský
Voice by Jiří Prager
herec vnuk
Frank Towen
Voice by Dalimil Klapka
herec děd
Václav Kovařík
loupežný rytíř Zima
Kateřina Rajmontová
mysterium – anděl
Dana Balounová
mysterium – dívka
Marie Spurná
mysterium – smrt
Ivana Vavrová
mysterium – jeptiška
Zuzana Töpferová
mysterium – lehká žena
Tomáš Töpfer
mysterium – šašek
Václav Knop
mysterium – ďábel
Alexej Okuněv
mysterium – kat/dědic
Ivan Rajmont
mysterium – král
Luděk Čtvrtlík
mysterium – blázen
Pavel Rímský
mysterium – mnich
Gabriela Wilhelmová
krčmářka
Rostislav Novák
čeledín
Oskar Hák
bubeník
Jiří Knot
klenotník
Hana Militká
děvečka/lehká žena
Jaroslav Malík ml.
dlužník
Oldřich Navrátil
student
Radan Rusev
dědic
Rudolf Stärz
mládenec
Dagmar Benešlová
nahá žena/měšťanka/trhovkyně
E. Formánková
nahá žena
J. Garaiová
nahá žena
V. Hrabaňová
nahá žena/lehká žena
Jana Pavlátová
nahá žena/měšťanka/lehká žena
M. Strinčáková
nahá žena
I. Dubský
nahý muž
M. Kobal
nahý muž
J. Kadeřábek
nahý muž
Richard Kraus
nahý muž/trhovec
J. Kukal
nahý muž
A. Mucha
nahý muž
V. Prajzler
nahý muž
A. Šístek
nahý muž
P. Vrága
nahý muž/měšťan
Jiří Vnouček
nahý muž
Miroslav Vránek
nahý muž
T. Zetek
nahý muž/měšťan
Jan Cmíral ml.
měšťan
J. Dobeš
měšťan
J. Doubrava
měšťan
G. Dörnerová
měšťanka
Soňa Dvořáková
měšťanka
Eva Hlaváčková
měšťanka
Eva Hořánková
měšťanka
Eva Jeníčková
měšťanka
Pavel Linhart
měšťan
Karel Lupoměský
měšťan
Mirko Musil
měšťan
Olga Michálková
měšťanka
Ivana Mervartová
měšťanka
René Netopilík
měšťan
Bedřich Prokůpek
měšťan
P. Rejzek
měšťan
Hana Sudolská
měšťanka
Julie Soukupová
měšťanka
Jelena Šebestová
měšťanka
Karel Vaněk (3)
měšťan
Pavel Vangeli
měšťan
Antonín Novotný (4)
měšťan
Jaroslav Tomsa
ošklivec
Pavel Havránek
Voice by Miloslav Štibich
kněz
T. Benešová
lehká žena
M. Grušová
lehká žena
Pavla Michálková
lehká žena
Eva Machová
lehká žena
K. Pavlíková-Preislerová
lehká žena
M. Polášková
lehká žena
J. Šišková
lehká žena
M. Vavřincová
lehká žena
Miroslava Vydrová
lehká žena
Ariana Shameti
trhovkyně
Lucie Stropnická
trhovkyně
H. Šalátová
trhovkyně
A. Šviha
trhovec
Nina Vangeli
trhovkyně
Zdena Pojezdná
trhovkyně
Petr Vacek
trhovec
Vladimír Hulec
trhovec
Pavel Marek
odsouzenec
J. Vančura
kat
Vilém Čok
hudebník
Jiří Hrubeš
hudebník
Michael Kocáb
hudebník
Michal Pavlíček
hudebník
skupina Dominik
skupina historického šermu
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
Art Director
Set Designer
Petr Matouš, Jiří Matějka, Yvetta Kornová, Eva Slívová
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Vladimíra Kopecká, Vlasta Synkulová
Unit Production Manager
Magdalena Mikešová
Cooperation
Jitka Stehlíková (klapka), Jiří Kučera (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Michael Kocáb, Michal Pavlíček (použité motivy hudby)
Music Performed by
Michael Kocáb, Michal Pavlíček, Jiří Hrubeš, Vilém Čok, FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens)
Music Supervisor
Choreographer
Songs
Poslyšte příběh velmi krásný
Song Composer Michael KocábMichal Pavlíček
Writer of Lyrics Michael Kocáb
Singer Jana Kratochvílová
Drahé masti
Song Composer Michael KocábMichal Pavlíček
Writer of Lyrics Michael Kocáb
Singer Boris Rösner
Sníh už taje
Song Composer Michael KocábMichal Pavlíček
Writer of Lyrics Michael Kocáb
Singer Ivan Podobský [dab]Vilém Čok
Production info
Original Title
Straka v hrsti
Czech Title
Straka v hrsti
English Title
A Magpie in the Hand
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
allegory
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1987
Production Year
1982—1983, 1987
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 12 March 1979
technical Screenplay approved 18 June 1982
start of filming 4 August 1982
end of filming 7 October 1982
the first film copy approved 30 December 1983
projection approval 11 February 1988
withdrawal from distribution 1 October 1993
Premiere
premiere 1 February 1991 /unsuitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
3. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina (1982–1983), Václav Erben (vedoucí 3. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny), Tvůrčí skupina Profil (1987), Karel Czaban (vedoucí tvůrčí skupiny Profil)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
96 min
Original length in metres
2 686 meters
Distribution carrier
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
