The Curse of the Hajns’ House
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1988Production year
1988Premiere
1 September 1989Runtime
107 minDirector
Jiří SvobodaCategory
filmGenre
horror, psychologicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Prokletí domu HajnůCzech title
Prokletí domu HajnůEnglish title
The Curse of the Hajns’ HouseWorking title
Strýček Cyril / NeviditelnýSummary
Jiří Svoboda brought his expressive directing to bear in this film adaptation of Jaroslav Havlíček’s novel Neviditelný (Invisible). The story, first published in 1937, takes place in the (fictional) east Bohemian town of Jesenice in the mid-1920s. The narrative’s protagonist is ambitious, rationalist engineer Peter Švajcar, who marries into the wealthy Hajn family for his own gain. Cyril, the insane brother of Petr’s father-in-law, causes symptoms of the family sickness to spread to Petr’s wife Soňa. Petr eventually loses everything he had so laboriously gained... The motion picture sees the director turn Havlíček’s grim indictment of small-town selfishness into a psychological horror and Petra Vančíková (Soňa) and Petr Čepek (Cyril) put in wonderful performances that intensify the tonality. Čepek’s acting is reminiscent of his main role in another Havlíček adaptation, Petrolejové lampy (Oil Lamps, 1971).
Synopsis
It is winter evening in 1931 and engineer Petr vajcar arrives at the villa of the factory owner Hajn. He walks through the empty house and recollects events which began in 1924. That year, he went there for the first time as Hajn's employee and the fiancé of his daughter Soňa who he had met in Prague. vajcar realizes the very first evening that the house is commanded by the old aunt Karolina. This, however, does not discourage him - he comes from poor conditions and is thus used to struggle. He also soon discovers that the brother of his future father-in-law, Cyril, also lives in the house. Cyril is insane and thinks he invented an invisibility formula. He moves around the house convinced that no one can see him. Soňa is scared of him and the situation does not change after the marriage. Cyril snoops on Soňa and even spoils the newlyweds' wedding night. When Soňa is home alone one day, Cyril tries to rape her. Petr thus takes him to a mental asylum, but it is too late for Soňa - she also loses her mind after the dreadful incident. She even does not recover after the birth of their son and moreover threatens his life by her actions. Soňa's cousin Katy becomes Petr's lover and suggests to him how to get rid of his wife. Petr intentionally leaves Soňa's room unlocked and the corridor window open. The young woman commits suicide. A few years later, Soňa's father dies and Petr becomes the heir. He is satisfied but Katy starts pushing him towards marriage, claiming that she owns a different last will and testament of Hajn in which Petr is not the heir. Petr capitulates. He is, however, still haunted by bad luck. His son starts displaying signs of the Hajn's hereditary disease. The desperate Petr blames God for trying to destroy him.
Photos
Cast
Emil Horváth ml.
Voice by Martin Stropnický
Ing. Petr Švajcar
Petronela Vančíková
Soňa, dcera továrníka Hajna
Radoslav Brzobohatý
továrník Hugo Hynek Hajn
Petr Čepek
Sonin šílený strýc Cyril
Valerie Kaplanová
tetinka Karolina
Evelyna Steimarová
hospodyně Katy, Sonina sestřenice
František Řehák
řídící učitel Kunc, rodinný přítel
František Husák
rodinný lékař MUDr. Milde
František Švihlík
Holzknecht, dílovedoucí v mydlárně
Ota Sklenčka
Lachman, Švejcarův dobrodinec
Vladimír Salač
notář
Bohumil Vávra
správce domu Pařík
Petr Brukner
řidič Filip
Ondřej Pavelka
Karel Dont, Švajcarův přítel
Jakub Zdeněk
Péťa, Švajcarův syn
Milan Pěkný
Čermák, Švajcarův zástupce
Petra Hanžlíková
Kuncova neteř
Yvetta Kornová
Švajcarova sestra
Jana Robenková
porodní bába
Radovan Versigan
Petrův otec
Miriam Chytilová
Petrova matka
Luboš Hajn
Felix
Emma Černá
kuchařka Anna
Milan Šulc
Fürst
V. Šimáček
farář
Petr Buchtela
ošetřovatel
Václav Burkert
ošetřovatel
Martin Hub
ošetřovatel
František Stupka
ošetřovatel
František Čužna
vrátný
M. Douda
Petr jako dvanáctiletý
Ivana Chýlková
Dontová
P. Brázda
hudebník v kabaretu
Jiří Kauders
hudebník v kabaretu
Vojtěch Šebestík
hudebník v kabaretu
Zdeněk Šimůnek
hudebník v kabaretu
Jan Štěpánek
hudebník v kabaretu
Petr Čech (2)
hudebník v restauraci
I. Hanuš
hudebník v restauraci
Zdeněk Ladislav Hartl
hudebník v restauraci
Josef Pokluda
hudebník v restauraci
Karel Turnovský
hudebník v restauraci
Robert Müller
hudebník na hřbitově
J. Smolík
hudebník na hřbitově
Viktor Šejna
hudebník na hřbitově
Z. Adam
hudebník
P. Beran
hudebník
Josef Božka
hudebník
L. Kratochvíl
hudebník
J. Kristofovič
hudebník
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Based on
Jaroslav Havlíček (Neviditelný – román)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Art Director
Bedřich Budil
Set Designer
Karel Karas, Rudolf Kinský, Jan Klíma, Jiří Ondryáš, Bohumil Kadlec, Dana Smržová
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Ludvík Malý
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Bohdan Kysil, Antonín Suchánek
Unit Production Manager
Jana Příkaská, Miloš Matula
Consultant
MUDr. Miroslav Borecký, Jaroslav Tomsa
Cooperation
Renata Janovová (klapka), Zdeněk Vávra (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Selected Music
Franz Schubert (Empromptü – As-dur), Johann Strauss ml. (Na krásném modrém Dunaji), Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (Svatební pochod)
Music Performed by
Songs
Už už už, Petříček je muž
Singer sbor
Letěla bělounká holubička
Singer Petra Vančíková
Narodil se Kristus pán
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Prokletí domu Hajnů
Czech Title
Prokletí domu Hajnů
English Title
The Curse of the Hajns’ House
Working Title
Strýček Cyril / Neviditelný
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
horror, psychological
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1988
Production Year
1988
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 7 May 1987
technical Screenplay approved 22 January 1988
start of filming 1 March 1988
end of filming 14 July 1988
the first film copy approved 9 November 1988
projection approval 2 December 1988
withdrawal from distribution 31 October 1993
Premiere
premiere 1 September 1989 /unsuitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
2. tvůrčí skupina, Josef Císař (vedoucí 2. tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
107 min
Original length in metres
3 017 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
Festival: 6. mezinárodní filmový festival FESTRIO ´89 Rio de Janeiro
1989
Rio de Janeiro / Brazil
Vítěz
Festival: 27. festival českých a slovenských filmů Mladá Boleslav
1989
Mladá Boleslav / Czechoslovakia
Jozef Hrabušický
