Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T11:18:00.199Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

11 - Václav Vorlíček: A Dream within a Dream

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2024

Bernd Herzogenrath
Affiliation:
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt Am Main
Get access

Summary

Abstract: With titles such as Kdo chce zabit Jessii? (Who Wants to Kill Jessie?, 1966), Divka na koštěti (The Girl on the Broomstick, 1971), Tři ořišky pro Popelku (Three Nuts for Cinderella, aka Three Wishes for Cinderella, 1973), and Jak utopit dr. Mračka aneb Konec vodniků v Cechach (How to Drown Dr. Mracek, the Lawyer, 1974), Václav Vorlíček has been one of Barrandov's most prolific directors and scriptwriters, creating some of the classics of Czech (or, then, Czechoslovakian) film and TV (e.g., Arabela [Arabela, 1979–1981], and Arabela se vraci [Arabela Returns, 1993]). After studying directing at the Prague Film School from 1951 to 1956, Vorlíček joined Barrandov, first as an assistant director and, later, as a figure who was instrumental in the development of a decisively Czech(oslovakian) mode of comedies and – most importantly – fairy-tale films.

Keywords: normalizace, crazy comedies, fairytale film, WDR, DEFA

With titles such as Kdo chce zabit Jessii? (Who Wants to Kill Jessie?, 1966), Divka na koštěti (The Girl on the Broomstick, 1971), Tři ořišky pro Popelku (Three Nuts for Cinderella, aka Three Wishes for Cinderella, 1973), and Jak utopit dr. Mračka aneb Konec vodniků v Cechach (How to Drown Dr. Mracek, the Lawyer, 1974), Václav Vorlíček was one of Barrandov's most prolific directors and scriptwriters, creating some of the classics of Czech (or then Czechoslovakian) film and TV (e.g., Arabela, 1979–1981, and Arabela se vraci [Arabela Returns, 1993]). After studying directing at the Prague Film School from 1951 to 1956, Vorlíček joined Barrandov, first as an assistant director, and later became instrumental in the development of a decisively Czech(oslovakian) mode of comedies and – most importantly – fairy-tale films. Vorlíček, it could be argued, translated the avant-garde style and look of the satirical and surrealist fairy tales of the Czech Nouvelle Vague (e.g., Valerie a týden divů [Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, 1970]) into pop culture, both on film and TV.

A crystal-clear piano arpeggio, sounding like sleigh-bells in a wintery landscape.

An angel-like voice – La La Lalala Lalala La La …

Type
Chapter
Information
The Barrandov Studios
A Central European Hollywood
, pp. 317 - 338
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×