Go Back to Your Grave!
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1989Production year
1989Premiere
1 August 1990Runtime
96 minDirector
Milan ŠteindlerCategory
filmGenre
comedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Vrať se do hrobuCzech title
Vrať se do hrobuEnglish title
Go Back to Your Grave!Working title
Po maturitě / Vrať se do hrobu!Summary
This tragicomedy about the pitfalls a man entering “Christ’s age” may encounter was Milan Šteindler’s first work as a director. Among the prominent playwrights of the Sklep Theatre, he further demonstrated his talent by creating a “traditional” narrative. With a significant contribution from screenwriter Halina Pawlowská, Vrať se do hrobu (Go Back to Your Grave!, 1989) differs in both form and style from films made by other Sklep ensemble members: for example, the mosaic Pražská 5 (The Prague Five, 1988) and the rhythmical Kouř (Smoke, 1990) by Tomáš Vorel and the audio-visual feérie Don Gio (1992) by brothers Michal and Šimon Caban. Yet Šteindler’s film is still a generational work, whose main character wages an exaggeratedly comic battle with his groundlessness and mental complexes stemming from life under the previous regime. Sociologist Víťa Jakoubek (Milan Šteindler) has both a job and a family but neither satisfies him. When at last given an independent research project – to examine the marking system for high school leavers – he jumps at the chance and, relying on his youthful looks, pretends to be a new student in class. The scientist’s cover is known only to the school’s director while its staff and students haven’t a clue. However, the research becomes slightly derailed: the thirtysomething man finds the return to his adolescence much too enticing and starts leading a double life. His high-school alter ego soon begins to impact Víťa’s family life. An affair with a schoolmate named Eva (Klára Pollertová) suddenly seems more comprehensible than his relationship with wife, Jana (Dana Batulková). However, since morality is at stake, the truth about the central character is revealed and his new friends send the scientist where they think he belongs: to the grave… This likeable, unjustly neglected film is both clever and humorous entertainment. Halina Pawlowská, with whom Šteindler also collaborated in the making of another tragicomedy, Díky za každé nové ráno (I Thank You for Each New Morning, 1994), makes a cameo appearance as a cleaner, while Jaroslav Dušek plays Víťa’s much too talkative colleague Horálek, in the first of his many portrayals of obnoxious officials.
Synopsis
Social scientist Víťa Jakoubek – a married man in his thirties and the father of two sons, Jakub and Martin – is not satisfied with his life. He was not appointed to any scientific task in the research institute where he works, he lives on a grey housing estate, his wife Jana is constantly in a rush, the children are unruly and he has to work hard on the cottage of his father-in-law every weekend. But then he is finally appointed to an independent sociological research aimed at finding out the value system of high-school graduates. One of the pedagogues at a grammar school considers him to be a new student. The young sociologist adopts this cover identity with the awareness of the schoolmaster. Although he is not attractive at all and his style of dressing is viewed as hopelessly outdated by his schoolmates, Víťa gains many friends among the graduates and even the big-eyed class star Eva falls in love with him. Students come to believe that Víťa was delayed in his studies by illness, and he is moreover only a few years older. Víťa begins to fancy student life again, he passes Jana off as his older sister in front of the gang of his schoolmates, and forbids his sons to talk about him and recognize him as their father. The researched students sometimes surprise Víťa – for example by demanding a bribe for prompting at the blackboard. Víťa goes to a disco with his student gang but he does not have too much fun – men of his age asking for a dance are palmed off by the sentence "Go back to your grave!" The same evening, Víťa is expected at home by his wife, his mother-in-law and Jakub suffering from an inflammation of the middle ear. Víťa gets some new, modern clothes because he is flattered by Eva's interest in him. A new after-school club manager refuses to hand him his son over for the boy obediently keeps denying his father in public. The double life causes Víťa problems and the angry Jana eventually moves away to her parents with the children. Although Víťa fails at the A-level exams, he throws a party at home for his schoolmates and then ends up in bed with Eva. His shocked mother-in-law, who catches him red handed, betrays the Víťa's age as well as his marital status to the students. The disgusted youngsters discard him and Eva subsequently sends him "back to the grave". Víťa first tries to reconcile with his wife, but in vain. He meets her in a park after sometime. Eva is sitting in a tree and Víťa thus climbs up to her. It seems that the crisis is over. Víťa receives a new research task in the institute. This time, he leaves to a retirement home to explore the value system of citizens enjoying their well deserved rest.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Milan Šteindler
sociolog Víťa Jakoubek
Dana Batulková
Jana, Víťova žena
Klára Pollertová
studentka Eva Málková
Kryštof Koláček
Jakub, Víťův syn
Matěj Peprník
Martin, Víťův syn
Zdeněk Marek
student Ivan Holeka zvaný Holda
Aleš Machalíček
tlustý student Polívka
Jiří Vala
dr. Brousek, Víťův ředitel
Věra Vlčková
ředitelka gymnázia
Jan Gross
třídní profesor Holub
Svatava Hubeňáková
Víťova tchyně
Věra Laňková
Kolovecká, Víťova sousedka
Eva Tauchenová
Tomanová, profesorka matematiky
Monika Šeligová
studentka Pachnerová
Iva Taťounová
studentka Týna Princová
Jakub Čistecký
student Rychlík
Jan Trávníček
student Bohdan Milický
Mojmír Hušek
profesor Jaroslav Spousta
Yvetta Blanarovičová
sekretářka Jarmilka
Jaroslav Dušek
funkcionář Horálek, Vítův kolega
Jaroslav Wagner
Víťův tchán
Vlastimil Zavřel
hostinský Jarda
Lenka Vychodilová
profesorka němčiny Trojanová
Zuzana Bláhová
družinářka
Kateřina Boučková
dr. Havránková
Jindra Kvardová
stařenka
Ladislav Brothánek
mistr
Halina Pawlowská
uklízečka
Jitka Hoferková
docentka Karešová
Eva Vlachová
matka Málková
Ladislav Chroust
otec Málek
Milan Šroubek
sociolog Mareš
Josef Petrů
Mareš ml.
Luboš Veselý
Vláďa, Víťův kamarád
I. Kratochvílová
Vláďova žena
Jaroslav Kolísek
Jarda, Víťův kamarád
Eva Holubová
redaktorka Irena Nováková, Víťova kamarádka
P. Hodač
Vašek Novák, Víťův kamarád
Ondřej Trojan
Lancek, Víťův kamarád
Jan Dejmek
kolotočář
Josef A. Stehlík
hlídač
Alois Tesař
předseda družstva
Miroslav Dubský
příslušník VB
Petr Koutecký
příslušník VB
Petr Weig
nadpraporčík VB
R. Kadlec
student Josef Kalandra z Brna
M. Škorpil
student němčiny Petr Vašut
Oskar Reif
kamarád
Věra Víchová
kamarádka
Vladimír Heiser
kamarád
Ivan Kušjak
kamarád
Věra Černá (2)
kamarádka
Martin France
student
Bára Kašťáková
studentka
R. Ajjanová
studentka
S. Bloch
student
Z. Frey
student
K. Havlíková
studentka
J. Hub
student
J. Jakeš
student
V. Karjagin
student
Hana Pafková
studentka
S. Kovářová
studentka
Anna Krylová
studentka
M. Mrázek
student
I. Majerová
studentka
M. Míka
student
D. Novotná
studentka
K. Ouředníková
studentka
J. Pondělíček
student
P. Štěpánek
student
S. Vacková
studentka
I. Zámostná
studentka
Petr Hošek
zdvořilý mladík v autobuse
Jiří Kratochvíl
Karel Smrž
harmonikář
Jan Bagár
hudebník
Karel Šelmeczi
hudebník
T. Gunár
hudebník
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Roman Fara
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Milan Bábik, Radan Kapinos, Karel Vaňásek
Costume Designer
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Assistant Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jitka Hoferková, Pavel Nový
Unit Production Manager
Michal Přikryl, Jakub Meissner
Consultant
Cooperation
Eva Blažková (klapka), Michal Fairaizl (fotograf), Vladimír Michálek, P. Jakubcová, V. Kouba, L. Jantovský, Pavel Schlumperger, J. Malý
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Štěpán Markovič, Miloslav Halík
Songs
Jasná zpráva
Song Composer Petr Janda
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Vrba
Singer Petr JandaOlympic
Gejzír
Song Composer Jindřich Parma
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Cmíral
Singer Petr Kotvaldskupina Trik
Já s písničkou jdu jako ptáček
Song Composer Jan Frank Fischer
Writer of Lyrics Jan Frank FischerJaromír Pleskot
Singer Věra LaňkováMilan Šteindler
O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum
Song Composer tradicionál
Writer of Lyrics Ernst Anschütz
Singer sbor
Studentská halenka
Singer sbor
Pohádka mládí
Song Composer Karel Vacek
Writer of Lyrics Karel Vacek
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Vrať se do hrobu
Czech Title
Vrať se do hrobu
English Title
Go Back to Your Grave!
Working Title
Po maturitě / Vrať se do hrobu!
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
comedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1989
Production Year
1989
Production specifications
start of filming 4 April 1989
end of filming 27 June 1989
the first film copy approved 12 October 1989
projection approval 17 November 1989
withdrawal from distribution 1 October 1993
Premiere
gala premiere 7 June 1990 (kino Lucerna, Praha)
premiere 1 August 1990 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
1. tvůrčí skupina, Jiří Blažek (vedoucí 1. tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
96 min
Original length in metres
2 522 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
Exhibition: Dny českého a slovenského filmu Bratislava
1990
Bratislava / Czechoslovakia
Milan Šteindler
Vítěz
Festival: 4. filmový festival mladých Velké Poříčí u Hronova
1990
Velké Poříčí u Hronova / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 12. festival české a slovenské filmové veselohry Novoměstský hrnec smíchu Nové Město nad Metují
1990
Nové Město nad Metují / Czechoslovakia
Milan Šteindler
Vítěz
Festival: 41. filmový festival pracujících – léto '90
1990
95 měst / Czechoslovakia
Milan Šteindler
