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COLLOQUE (I)
CLOSELY WATCHED FILMS.
THE CZECHOSLOVAK EXPERIENCE
Martin Frič, Otakar Vávra, Zbyněk Brynych, František Vláčil, Štefan Uher conversed with Antonín J. LIEHM. (Transl. by M. Edemskaya, prefaced and commented by V. Levitova)
The noted Czech film and literary critic as well as publicist, the author of «The Most Important Art: Eastern European Film After 1945» and the one of the key figures of the Prague Spring Antonín Jaroslav Liehm is also distinguished as a sensitive interviewer. His book «Closely Watched Films. The Czechoslovak Experience», containing conversations with the Czech and Slovak filmmakers, dated by the end of the turn of 60s–70s boasts the long and whimsical history. It was published at home by the National Prague film archive only in 2001. Hereafter follows 11 interviews from the book. The stuff is divided into two parts. The first one includes conversations with the senior directors and the forerunners of the Czechoslovak New Wave.
RECEPTION
Václav KOFROŇ. The curse of the old castle. Jiří Voskovec, Jan Werich and the spirit of cinema
The famous comic duet of Jiří Voskovec and Jan Werich, who have been starring in the Liberated Theatre, is known in Czechoslovak Republic under the abbreviation V+W. Václav Kofroň’s article is devoted to their early journalism and enthusiasm for American grotesque, as well as the first experience in performing on screen.
Jiří VOSKOVEC. The tortoise nobody remembered by. — How to tune cinema theatres out? — Czech cinema, or From ailment to ailment. — Karel Anton. — «Carmen». — «Frigo the boxer». — New Chaplin. — Douglas Fairbanks. — Adolphe Menjou. — Secret scout. — Involuntary poets
Jan WERICH. «Bond boy». — Wallace Beery. — Grotesque. — Female comics. — Karel Lamač
(Publ. by V. Kofroň. Transl. by V. Levitova, commented by D. Viren and V. Levitova.)
The articles by Jiří Voskovec and Jan Werich dated by the 20s are devoted to the predominant artistic trends and tuning the cinema theatres out, condition of the domestic cinema and advancement of American grotesque. Ironically performed detailed portrayals of the Czech and American stars are also included.
TEXT
Jiří VOSKOVEC. Nicotine. Poem of smoke (Libretto of a lyrical film). (Publ. and prefaced by V. Kofroň, transl. by V. Levitova)
Jaroslav SEIFERT, Karel TEIGE. Mr. Odyssey and various news. (Publ. and prefaced by H.-J. Schlegel, transl. by M. Kuvshinova)
Poetismus is a trend in the Czech art, discovered by the theoretician Karel Teige and poet Vítězslav Nezval. Its founders dreamed of optical poem in movement. Written in this genre scripts were not intended for staging and left in film history as a remarkable formal experiment. Two specimen of such librettos are presented.
IN THE REALM OF CULTURE
Karel TEIGE. On photomontage
Jindřich ŠTYRSKÝ. Surrealist photography
Jaromír FUNKE. Man Ray. — From the Photogram to Emotion
(Transl. and prefaced by V. Levitova, commented by S. Ishevskaya, D. Viren and V. Levitova)
The stuff includes spectacular articles in theory of Czech interwar photo avante-guarde by Karel Teige, Jindřich Štyrský and Jaromír Funke. The articles were written from different points of view. When working on them Teige was carried away by Constructivism and typographical photomontage, Štyrský professed Surrealism, and Funke pursued his ideal in poetics of Neue Sachlichkeit.
PERSONALIA
Jiří HORNÍČEK. Gustav Machatý as the first world known Czech filmmaker
Gustav Machatý. Filmography. Compiled by Jiří Horníček
In search of the perfect form of sound film. (Jiří Horníček)
Gustav Machatý (1901–1963) is the first Czech director whose films found wide recognition abroad and who himself was the first to be engaged for staging foreign performances. His works were marked with innovation and daring erotic motives. Jiří Horníček’s article tells of creative career of the filmmaker.
Gustav MACHATÝ. What to do with the Czech film? — [A letter to Otto Sonnenfeld] (Publ., prefaced and commented by Jiří Horníček. Transl. by M. Edemskaya)
Gustav Machatý ‘s article and his letter to the producer of the film «Ecstasy» Otto Sonnenfeld disclose the intentions of the author concerning expressive use of sound in cinema.
FROM THE HISTORY OF FILM THOUGHT
Emil František BURIAN. Cinema. — Music in sound cinema
Jindřich HONZL, Vladislav VANČURA. To discussion on speech in cinema
(Transl. by V. Levitova)
We publish some exemplar articles by members of avante-guarde union Devětsil: by the Czech theatre director and cinema composer E.F. Burian, director of The Liberated theatre J. Honzl and writer and filmmaker V. Vančura. Their reflections are devoted to the theme of sound and function of music in cinema.
Arne HOŠEK. Notes on aesthetics of cinema. (Transl. and prefaced by G. Kompanichenko)
Arne Hošek is the Czech architect, theoretician-synaesthetic, who studied psychology of reception and interrelations of music and painting, both visible and acoustic. We also publish translation of his only article on film aesthetics.
CINEMA MUSEUM
Hans-Joachim SCHLEGEL. Cinema under occupation. Miloš Havel, Otakar Vávra and Georg Wilhelm Pabst at the Prague studios «Barrandov» during the epoch of Protectorate. (Transl. by Yu. Muravsky)
H.-J. Schlegel’s article deals with Czech and German filmmakers working at the Czech studios «Barrandov» under difficult conditions of occupation either accepting or avoiding fascist prescriptions towards cinema making.
COLLOQUE (II)
CLOSELY WATCHED FILMS.
THE CZECHOSLOVAK EXPERIENCE
Jaroslav Kučera, Jan Schmidt, Juraj Jakubisko, Elo Havetta, Jaroslav Papoušek, Ivan Passer conversed with Antonin LIEHM. (Transl. by M. Edemskaya, commented by V. Levitova)
In the second part of the set of interviews from the book by Antonin Liehm’s conversations with the representatives of the Czech New Wave are included.
TOWARDS THE INTERPRETATION OF THE FILM
Jan KUČERA. Eve, or Searches. (Transl. by V. Levitova)
Jan Kučera (1908–1977) is the noted Czech Film theoretician, critic, historian and documentary maker. Since after the war up to 1948 he worked as the editor-in-chief at the Czechoslovak studios of film chronicles. Discharged after the Communist overturn, entered newly organized Film instate FAMU, where he teached «montage composition». His articles, regularly published in the end of the 60s in «Film a doba» magazine, are marked by the influence of Structuralism. We publish one of the most well known text by Jan Kučera — review of Věra Chytilová’s «Fruit of Paradise» (1969).
WORKSHOP
Vojtěch JASNÝ. On fi lm direction — seriously. (Transl. and prefaced by V. Levitova, commented by V. Levitova and D. Viren)
The destiny of the Czech filmmaker Vojtěch Jasný, that «natural lyricist», crucially changed after his emigration in 1970. He traveled a lot both through Europe and America, staging performances and shooting films in Austria, Germany, Yugoslavia, Finland, Norway and Canada. In 1984 Jasný went to New York and started to teach at cinema school. The filmmaker shares his huge experience in the book of lectures «Life and Cinema». We publish one of the chapters from it.
Jaromír ŠOFR. Notion of virtuosity of a cinematographer. — On waywardness in creation concerning cinema, on the role of fortuity in picturesque and film imagery. (Transl. by A. Denshchikova)
One of the leading Czech cinematographers and FAMU’s teacher Jaromír Šofr tells of his understanding of the profession.
CINEMA: LIFE AND ADVENTURES
Pavel JURÁČEK. Diary (1959–1974). Sequel. (Transl., prefaced and commented by G. Kompanichenko)
Continuation of publication of the diary by the scriptwriter and director of the New Wave Pavel Juráček. This installment tells of pre-production and shooting of the film «Every Young Man» (1965).
Miloš FORMAN. «What do I know, or What can I do, if it’s true?» Except from the book. (Transl. by M. Edemskaya)
In the new chapters of his memoirs the noted director keenly tells of his life in the USA after the fall of Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, of his relations with then president Václav Havel and of the history of making «The People vs. Larry Flint». |
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является незаконным.