Don Gio

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1992

Production year

1992

Premiere

5 November 1992

Runtime

96 min

Category

film

Genre

allegory

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Don Gio

Czech title

Don Gio

English title

Don Gio

Summary

The current social situation serves as a background for the film where two myths are fusing – the Mozart myth and the Don Juan myth. The classical adventure of the Sevillian seducer penetrates the story of the Director who is trying to come up with a new approach to the famous opera Don Giovanni as a tribute to the Mozart celebrations.

Synopsis

“The contemporary social situation serves as a backdrop to the escapades of the famous seducer. They mingle with the story of the Film Director who attempts a new staging of the renowned opera Don Giovanni on the occasion of celebrating Mozart’s anniversary. The antipole of the Film Director who admires Mozart for his brilliant oeuvre is the Theatre Director who solely views the famous composer as merchandise. Don Gio, the leading part in the film, simultaneously acts the role and represents the embodiment of Don Juan and he is also the one who pays for the entire production. He is possessed by both evil and a passionate and unrestrained desire for freedom. Being mainly fascinated by the dark sides of Mozart’s personality;, he is more interested in the creative process and the ingenious creature than in his immortal work” (after Film Review No. 11, 1992, p. 9). Gio and the Film Director talk about art and their views of truth, good and evil at a press conference for the new staging. The Theatre Director at the same time preaches about business and the immorality of Mozart’s contemporaries to the journalists at the theatre gate. The press conference is violently interrupted by the bursting in of a knight commander. Don Gio, prodded by Leporello, accepts the knight’s offered hand, thus falling prey to Hell in the form of a repugnant cabaret and gambling room. – The film was the first to reflect the condition of Czechoslovak society after 1989. In its form, it is the first consistent manifesto of the Czech mutation of the post-modern tendency in art.

Cast

Karel Roden

Giovanni

Chantal Poullain /ž/

Elvira

Daniel Dvořák

Ředitel divadla

Václav Chalupa

syn Giovanniho

Ladislav Lahoda

Komtur/cizinec-obchodník

Martin Cutych

inspicient

Ingeborg Žádná

violoncellistka

Martin Zbrožek

člen orchestru

Richard Srbený

člen orchestru

Miroslav Rovenský

člen orchestru

Tomáš Hořejš

člen orchestru

Ivan Bierhanzl

člen orchestru

Josef Prokop

člen orchestru

Miroslav Pudlák

člen orchestru

Jan Laibl

člen hereckého souboru

Miroslav Končel

člen hereckého souboru

Alena Dlouhá

členka hereckého souboru

Doubravka Svobodová

členka hereckého souboru

Karel Berounský

sluha Giovanniho

Martin Vačkář

tlumočník

Michael Minard

reportér CNN David

Radim Smetana

novinář

Jan Rubeš

novinář

Gábina Fárová

novinářka

Marian Roden

soudce da Ponte

Eva Kadaňková

produkční

Jan Pohribný

člen hnutí Greenpeace/fotograf

Luboš Vála

přítel Ředitele divadla

Kristýna Murdavská

služka Zerliny

Miroslav Pufler

muž Elviry

Jana Krňanská

členka společnosti ze 30. let/bruslící servírka/tanečnice na diskotéce

Martina Riedelbauchová

členka společnosti ze 30. let/tanečnice na diskotéce

Lucie Rúthová

členka společnosti ze 30. let

Veronika Bromová

členka společnosti ze 30. let

Martina Leierová

členka společnosti ze 30. let

Josef Pavlát

člen společnosti ze 30. let

Tomáš Mašín

skinhead a anarchista

Jiří Bauer

skinhead a anarchista/tanečník na diskotéce

Martina Melicharová

skinheadka a anarchistka

Ivan Malý

fotograf

Tereza Kučerová

bruslící servírka

Lenka Andelová

bruslící servírka

Dana Morávková

bruslící servírka

Dita Špačková

tanečnice na diskotéce

Petra Zelenková

tanečnice na diskotéce

David Konečný

tanečník na diskotéce

Jana Goetzová

žena s knihou

Petr Tříska

muž s vlajkou

Zbyšek Studecký

opilý šlechtic

Martin Čumpelík

revolucionář

Pavel Brabec

návštěvník divadla

Eduard Krutzner

osobní strážce

Richard Krutzner

osobní strážce

Hana Kosová

žena mnoha rolí

René Kořenář

muž mnoha rolí

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

René Kořenář, Olga Kubištová

Continuity

Jana Goetzová

Based on

Lorenzo da Ponte (Don Giovanni – operní libreto)

Shooting Script

Šimon Caban, Michal Caban

Director of Photography

Martin Duba

Second Unit Photography

Jan Hanzal

Camera Operator

Jan Jirák, Robert Zalay (steadicam), Peter Šutovský (steadicam)

Production Designer

Šimon Caban, Jan Ritter

Art Director

Šimon Caban

Set Designer

Vladimír Houška, Lukáš Máslo, Petr Tříska, Michal Šup, Pavel Švebiš, Karel Zach

Costume Designer

Simona Rybáková

Film Editor

Michal Cuc

Assistant Film Editor

Jitka Frimlová

Sound Designer

Ivan Hájek, Ivo Špalj

Animation

Hafan film, Miloslav Špála, Jan Balej, Bedřich Glaser, Josef Hrudka (počítačová animace), Jana Kaňanská (počítačová animace)

Unit Production Manager

Simona Machytková

Cooperation

Olga Svobodová (fotografka), Jan Vaculík, Miroslav Kratina, Petra Holeštová

Production info

Original Title

Don Gio

Czech Title

Don Gio

English Title

Don Gio

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

allegory

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1992

Production Year

1992

Production specifications

the end of the distribution monopoly 4 November 1997

Premiere

premiere 5 November 1992 /recommended for 15 and over/

Distribution slogan

An expressive morally, cultural horror with musical elements. Karel Roden in the arena of spiritual relations and physical "intercourses".

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

96 min

Original length in metres

2 800 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

Dolby Stereo

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, English, German, Italian

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech