Adelheid (film)

Adelheid
Adelheid
	Czech poster
Directed by	František Vláčil
Written by	Vladimír Körner; František Vláčil
Based on	Adelheid; by Vladimír Körner
Starring	Petr Čepek; Emma Černá
Cinematography	František Uldrich
Edited by	Miroslav Hájek
Music by	Zdeněk Liška
Production; companies	Filmové studio Barrandov; Kouzlo Films Společnost
Distributed by	Ústřední půjčovna filmů
Release date	6 April 1970;
Running time	99 minutes
Country	Czechoslovakia
Language	Czech

Adelheid is a 1970 Czechoslovak drama film directed by František Vláčil, based on a 1967 novel of the same name by Czech writer Vladimír Körner. The story is about the complicated relationship between Czech man Viktor and German woman Adelheid, and about relationships between Czechs and Germans in postwar Czechoslovakia in general.^[1]

Plot

Discharged Czechoslovak lieutenant Viktor Chotovický (

RAF desk job. He has been appointed the trustee of an empty manor formerly occupied by the German family of a notorious Nazi war-criminal imprisoned by the Czechoslovak authorities. Viktor meets the Nazi's beautiful daughter Adelheid Heidenmann (Emma Černá), who is forced to work as a cleaning lady at her own mansion. Her brother is an SS officer who allegedly disappeared in the Eastern Front. Viktor makes Adelheid his captive maid, and soon falls in love with her. His heart is torn between feelings of desire and his national identity and sympathies. Adelheid also slowly becomes sympathetic towards Viktor, but at the same time silently hopes for the return of her brother Hansgeorg. When he does Viktor narrowly escapes death. Viktor refuses to testify against Adelheid because he is alone and has nobody else.^[1] However, Adelheid commits suicide

in her cell, Viktor walks off into the snow-covered countryside and is last seen wandering towards a mine field.

Cast

Petr Čepek as Viktor Chotovický
Emma Černá as Adelheid Heidenmannová
Jan Vostrčil as Officer Hejna
Jana Krupičková as Czech Girl
Pavel Landovský as Militiaman Jindra
Lubomír Tlalka as Militiaman Karel
Miloš Willig as Staff captain
Karel Hábl as Lieutenant
Zdeněk Mátl as Hansgeorg Heidenmann
Alžběta Frejková as Old German woman
Josef Němeček as Slovak
Karel Bělohradský
as Militiaman
Vlasta Petříková as Woman

Production

Town of Vroutek (German: *Rudig*), location of the Lužec castle from the film *Adelheid*

As in other novels by Körner, the story is set in Sudetenland in Northern Moravia. The movie was shot in Lužec castle located close the town of Vroutek (German: Rudig) in western Bohemia and in the villages close to Liberec in Northern Bohemia.^[2]

The soundtrack, adapted by Zdeněk Liška is based on existing music by Bach and Strauss, which complements the atmosphere of the film. The film was produced by Film Studio Barrandov Czechoslovakia in 1969.

Reception

The film has received very positive reviews after its release in 1969. Many critics called it Vláčil's second best film (after Marketa Lazarová). The film wasn't taken pleasantly by authorities and it received limited release and propagation which resulted in a small attendance in cinemas.^[3]

Accolades

Date of ceremony	Event	Award	Result	Ref(s)
1969	20th Worker's Film Festival	The seal of Cheb	Won	^[4]
1970	Trutnov Film Festival for Youth	Golden Sun Award	Won
1990	Finále Plzeň Film Festival	Kingfisher ex aequo	Won

References

^ ^a ^b "Adelheid (1969, colour, 99 mins)". The Struggles of František Vláčil. Kinoblog - A survey of Central and Eastern European cinema. 15 April 2008. Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
^ "Zámek Lužec". Collection of photographs on location. Filmová místa.cz. 2006–2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
^ "Príliš viditeľné švíky – dobová recepce filmu Adelheid – Revue – Filmový přehled". Filmový přehled (in Czech). Retrieved 18 October 2017.
^ "Adelheid (1969)". Filmový přehled (in Czech). Retrieved 18 October 2017.

External links

Adelheid at
IMDb

[filmjournal-1] "Adelheid (1969, colour, 99 mins)". The Struggles of František Vláčil. Kinoblog - A survey of Central and Eastern European cinema. 15 April 2008. Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2013.

[filmovamista-2] "Zámek Lužec". Collection of photographs on location. Filmová místa.cz. 2006–2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.

[Príliš_viditeľné_švíky_as_dobová_recepce_filmu_Adelheid_as_Revue_as_Filmový_přehled-3] "Príliš viditeľné švíky – dobová recepce filmu Adelheid – Revue – Filmový přehled". Filmový přehled (in Czech). Retrieved 18 October 2017.

[Filmový_přehled-4] "Adelheid (1969)". Filmový přehled (in Czech). Retrieved 18 October 2017.

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