by Allan Fish
(Czechoslovakia 1963 110m) DVD2 (Czech Republic only)
Aka. Az prijde kocour; The Cassandra Cat
Once upon a time there was…more was than wasn’t
p Vojtech Jasny d Vojtech Jasny w Jiri Brdecka, Vojtech Jasny, Jan Werich ph Jaroslav Kucera ed Jan Chaloupek m Svatopluk Havelka art Arch Oldrich Kucera
Jan Werich (Oliva/the magician), Emilia Vásáryová (Diana), Vlastimil Brodsky (Robert), Jiri Sovak (school director), Vladimir Mensik (janitor), Jirina Bohdalová (Julie), Karel Effa (Janek),
Probably the most whimsical of all Czech films, or at least the most whimsical of Czech classics, it’s criminal that Vojtech Jasny’s seminal piece is so hard to see these days. It’s never been available in the UK or in the US on video or DVD, and the only opportunity to see it is via importing the Czech DVD. All I can say is – import it, while you can!
It all begins with an old man – Oliva – up in a clock tower, who begins the tale, or does he rather relate it? In one corner, we have the school headmaster, a dictatorial man whose hobby is blasting away poor animals so he can make a pathetic job of stuffing them for his collection. He also is interested on having a fling with the girlfriend of one of his mild-mannered staff members, a schoolteacher called Robert who is beloved by his 7-8 year old students. One day in his class, Oliva is sitting for an art class for the kids, and tells them the story of how he fell in love, and how it all centred around a lovely young woman – doesn’t it always? – and her cat. Seems this cat wore sunglasses, and more than that, if the glasses were ever removed, people could see everyone else how the cat saw them. And we’re not talking feline night-time vision here, we’re talking looking into the characters’ very souls, their nature and actions. Those who turn yellow are the cowards and the unfaithful, while those who turn grey are thieves and miscreants. Purple is the colour for hypocrites and liars, and red the colour of choice for lovers. So what happens? Well, naturally, no sooner has he told the tale and from out of the window the kids, the teacher and Oliva see another lovely young woman called Diana, dressed in red, carrying a cat, a tabby with spectacles, and accompanying a magician atop a wagon.
It’s a delightful premise, but one reading through of the above synopsis will tell you that it could very easily have been utterly dreadful. There’s a miraculous sense of weightlessness to the enterprise, however, that recalls the whimsy of René Clair, while even the town square becomes a character in the piece in much the same way as it would in Demy’s later The Young Girls of Rochefort, another romantic film with an emphasis on colour. There’s a great deal of symbolism hidden there, too, to entertain the adults if the central premise isn’t enough. Take how the animal shot down in the opening sequence is a stork, and how the stuffed animal becomes important in a story about children. Or the character of the headmaster – wonderfully played by Sovak in a manner reminiscent of old Raymond Huntley – who is, to all intents and purposes, a neo-fascist, a fairy tale villain masquerading as an upright citizen. The teacher, Robert, is a bit of a wet fish, but Vásáryová is simply adorable as the magical Diana, and Werich is wonderful as two infernal old rascals. There’s even a magical magician’s act for the townsfolk which, though it flies over most of their heads, actually critiques the hypocrisy of the populace. Even the drawings of the kids have a wonderful lightness to them that adds to the sense of fun. And then there’s the cat, the real hero of the piece, as soft a furball as you’re ever likely to see, unforgettable in his sunglasses or being carried before the kids without a care in the world and turning people grey, purple, yellow and red in hue. One could write a thesis on the use of colour alone – fans of Lamorisse’s The Red Balloon will herald a kindred spirit – with special mention for the two children obviously already sweethearts and turning red walking hand in hand down the school corridor. That’s it’s all kept on an even keel and pitched at the perfect level is great credit to Jasny, but also hail Kucera, whose widescreen photography is suitably dreamy.
Usually if I have not seen the film you write about, I’ve at least heard of it. This is a surprising exception – surprising because despite studying Czech film at one point several years ago, I never even heard this film mentioned! Its timing is also interesting because ’63 seems to predate the New Wave by a year or two.
I’d almost say you made this one up as a late April Fools joke but that does not seem to be your style. It’s certainly on the to-see list now, difficulties aside.
No, Movieman, anyone who has the Time Out Film Guide will find it inside, and of course the IMDb and numerous other sites will back me up. It more than exists. Its anonymity outside of Europe is rather a blight on American criticism, which generallys ee the Czech cinema as purely Menzel, Kadar or Forman – and Criterion obviously feel the same myopic way.
Better to seek out Nemec, Jasny, Jakubisko, Vlacil, Jires, Herz, Chytilova, Schorm, Maskalyk, Passer, Kachyna, Weiss, Radok, Fric, Machaty and Vavra, to name a few off the top of my head.
I promise you one thing, I don’t think you’ll be shaking your head at 32.
You are quite the character Allan.
At first I thought you meant “at age 32” which kind of confused me. At any rate I have seen the work of a few Czechs outside of the trio you mention – in particular, Chytilova’s Daisies is one of my favorite films which I’d love to see on your list. What about stop-motion, now or later on the decade countdowns? Certainly outside of the New Wave, the Czech contribution to animation would seem to be one of the most celebrated aspects of their cinema…
(Also, for what it’s worth the profs I studied under were all Czechs so I don’t think Anglo-American bias would account the exclusion, but as all the students were Americans, perhaps they were condescending to us…)
Very probably…but it’s not just Czech cinema. There’s a pigeonholing in criticism whereby things are neatly labelled. Czech cinema is Forman, Menzel and Kadar’s The Shop on Main Street. Polish cinema is Wajda, Polanski’s Knife on the Water and Kieslowski (no Ford, Munk, Jakubowska, Bugajski, Kawalerowicz, etc).
Sadly, Daisies doesn’t make it, I just find it one of those sixties capsules – like Godard’s Deux ou Trois que je sais d’elle and Antonioni’s Blow-Up – trhat have showed their age. However, I will be getting the Second Run R2 DVD at the end of May which will be a massive improvement on the old R1.
Late comment:
I saw “When the cat comes” (Un dia un gato) in Chile in 1966. It was part of a larger East European art cinema festival that lasted for about 10 days. This film was shown 3 times. I caught it the second time, and I went right back to see it again when it was shown for the 3rd and last time. It’s wonderful.
I live in Canada now, and I haven’t been able to find it.
Julio, it’s very hard to get your hands on. However, if you have a multi region DVD player, it can be bought directly from the Czech Republic with subtitles here…
http://www.hil.cz/zbozi_video.php?lang=en&shop=vi&id_zbozi=9825&pgnum=0
I have used them many times, and they have an English version of the site. They stock English subbed versions of many Czech classics.
It is available in the US in a fullscreen dubbed into english version (cut to 91 minutes from about 101 ) :
This is under the alternative title of “Cassandra Cat” & is part of a double feature – sharing a disc with the US film “Carnival Story” starring Ann Baxter, on the Eastwest label – its been released twice like this; most recently in 2007 I think –
Its on Amazon.com (USA ) & ebay at a very cheap price from various sellers.
I ordered mine the other day & haven’t got it yet ( I live in the UK ) –
No doubt the Czech full-length release will look much better ( reviewers say the US one is quite faded in places etc ) & with the proper ratio.
I’ve heard about this film for years ( & sadly missed a screening in London circa November 2004 ) –
if its half as good as I’m hoping it is I’ll no doubt get the Czech version too:
Thanks for that great link.
From what you’re saying they sound reliable
( I got put of ordering years ago from Czech sites when someone who’d ordered a lot from various places said the process was very unpredictable – sounds like its improved; at least from this shop.
If you could possibly say a bit more about their efficiency/reliability it would be very helpful, if you have a moment.
Also, as may have been mentioned, there’s a great clip from the film on youtube (or possibly I found it via google video ):
Its from the Czech one I’d guess as I think the ratio’s quite wide ( if I remember right ).
I haven’t seen that much Czech stuff but I love all Karel Zeman’s films ( & Trnka & Tyrlova quite a bit )
& the Cat film’s synopsis re its whimsy & use of colour put the great Mr Zeman in mind – though I’d guess it will probably be quite different;
as a lot of great artists/ art has a tendency to an individualistic & specific vision – & that of course is often why it can be so wonderful…
I’ve used them several times, Tim, and never had a real problem. I have When the Cat Comes, Erotikon, The Long Journey, Capricious Summer, The Proud Princess, Cutting it Short and others from them.
And please don’t get the dubbed panned and scanned print, an absolute travesty…get the proper release, but get the right one. There is an ultra cheap DVD of it ont he same site but with no Eng subs, get the dearer subbed one…
Thanks for the reply Allan – very helpful indeed.
I’ve already ordered the US travesty version as mentioned
( it was very cheap – & “Carnival Story” sounds quite ridiculous so may be quite fun)! –
but yes; I’ll definitely put in an order shortly for the proper full-price English subbed Czech release, as recommended.
Thanks again.
Postcard from Nebraska
I spoke to Mr. Jasny, phoning him in New York, yesterday and find him to be a very gracious and sensitive man. He said he has better copies of his films and would be open to participating in our university related film festivals in late spring or early summer, if this can work out, and he will bring these copies with him for possible screenings for our film students and faculty. He still teaches film. Our school is in the middle of Nebraska yet he said he would be interested and curious to visit and see what Nebraska was like. This man, in his early 80’s still has that spark of curiousity and sense of possibility most in film and the other arts need to open our senses to what is in front of us.
I hope we can Cornhuskers can put together a film event that will be worthy of Vojtech Jasny’s work.
Tone, when next you speak to Vojtech, please pass on our warmest wishes. He is a name, like too many from the Czech 60s (see also Vlacil, Kachyna, Jires, etc) too long overlooked by Forman and Menzel.
Hopefully he can get you a better print of All My Good Countrymen than the usual Facets travesty.
wondersinthedark: I hope to contact Mr. Jasny next week, as he said last month that he was leaving for Munich as his wife is there and is ill.
In his conversation on the phone he mentioned that Milos Forman was a pupil of his and spoke highly of Mr. Forman and others. It was Forman who got Mr. Jasny a teaching position at Columbia U in New York City and helped him get his wife and son out of Eastern Europe before the Communists put the hammer down on him and his creative work.
If you have contact info or want me to send his contact info to you via your email, let me know at cieobt2@yahoo or tone@cieo.com.
For the time being, please send Vojtech out warmest regards and wishes for his wife’s speedy recovery. He’s too long been neglected in the west as the equal of any of the great Czech masters of the 1960s.