Birds, Orphans and Fools
7.4 /10 1 Votes7.4
Music director Zdenek Liska Country Czechoslovakia | 7.2/10 IMDb Genre Comedy, Drama, Fantasy Duration | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Release date September 27, 1969 (1969-09-27) (Czechoslovakia) Initial release September 27, 1969 (Czechoslovakia) Cast Magdalena Vasaryova, Jiri Sykora, Milan Beran, Jana Stehnova, Augustin Kuban, Mikulas Ladizinsky, Philippe Avron Screenplay Juraj Jakubisko, Karol Sidon Similar movies Related Juraj Jakubisko movies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Little birds orphans and fools made in prague 2013
Birds, Orphans and Fools (Slovak: Vtáčkovia, siroty a blázni) is a 1969 Czechoslovak film directed by Juraj Jakubisko. The film is about three people who are all orphaned by political violence. Set in an unspecified time and place, the movie is a parable about three people who face a tough, violent world and survive by adopting a childlike philosophy of life and live a life of foolish, joyful denial.
Contents
- Little birds orphans and fools made in prague 2013
- Plot
- Political subtext
- Production
- Cast
- Awards
- References
The film was released in 1969 and was shown that year at an international film festival in Sorrento, Italy. Soon after, though, the film was banned by the Soviet regime until the end of 1989.
Plot
The main characters, Yorick, Martha and Ondrej, exist in a bleak, cynical world. All of them have been orphaned during a war. To survive, they adopt a childlike philosophy where they live in love and joy, and seem to be immune to despair. "Life is beautiful," screams the main characters.
The trio live with birds in a surrealistic, bombed church in the center of a city. At first it seems that they are all enjoying their lighthearted play. Foolishness is a drug. Or, as Yorick says, "only a fool can be a free man."
The key struggle is the relationship of the two men to Martha. Yorick develops a relationship with Martha quickly. Ondrej, a virgin, has a harder time getting close to Martha, not withstanding prodding by Yorick. In an odd move, Yorick has himself arrested and is sent to jail for a year during which time Martha and Ondrej's relationship develops.
Each of the characters in the film goes through a long internal development. The most apparent is that of Yorick, who after returning from prison, "lost the courage to be crazy". Ondrej seems to find passion in his love of Martha.
Jealous of Ondrej and Martha's relationship incites Yorick to murder to Martha and her unborn baby and then commit suicide. Ondrej's fate remains unknown.
Political subtext
The film is made soon after the Soviet invasion of Prague. In the movie the main characters are living in an enchanted world of love, joy and freedom, but in fact, they are not free. The world is dismal and lacking the freedom that they pretend to enjoy. As Jakubisko is quoted as saying: "Foolish games and death are cruel. Maybe too cruel. When I shot my fiction in 1968 there were people lying on the sidewalks. They didn’t have to fake death."
Production
Birds, Orphans and Fools was made in 1969 and had a limited release before it was banned. It would be 20 years before the Soviet ban of the film was lifted with the end of the Soviet Regime. The film was censured for its negative, hopeless and non-socialist content. When it finally debuted at the 1990 film festival it was met with resounding approval and success. Birds, Orphans and Fools came out in 2009 in a DVD edition.
The production staff includes:
Both the exterior and interior scenes were filmed in Slovakia. The movie was filmed in Bratislava, Piestany and Bradlo.
The movie was produced by Slovenská filmová tvorba, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia and Como Film Paris, France.
Cast
Awards
References
Birds, Orphans and Fools WikipediaBirds, Orphans and Fools IMDb Birds, Orphans and Fools themoviedb.org