Acting
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This dramatic story is situated in the town of Trnava of the 18th century. Painter Peter paints an altar-piece of the Martyrdom of St. Juliet and his model is a young girl. This is much disliked by the clergy who unjustly accuse the girl of witchcraft. She is saved from being burnt at a stake by the students of the Trnava University.
Jakub, a dreamer and budding magician, juggles between parcels and services rendered to the villagers. His eyes cross that of the beautiful gypsy Jolanka. Together, they will try to live a first and big love, despite the pressure of their respective communities.
Historical satire from the first half of the 19th century, which captures the decay and decline of the landed estate. The impoverished peasants still seem to adhere to the old principles of peasant honor and glory, but the elections will show how easy it is to buy knightly qualities.
On this naive and awkwardly narrated fairy tale it is remarkable that it also established the tradition of fairy tale stories in Slovakia. A certain refinement is the framing of the whole story with a puppet show that moves into the played scenes. The film carries out a folk tale of a stupid castle lord who lives in a ruined castle, a fraudulent painter and a lazy shepherd.
A drama from the period of village collectivisation in 1947-1948, it depicts the life of former beggars who, after the war and land reform, acquire land and dream of becoming wealthy landlords. New social conditions, the onset of collectivisation, but also the great drought bring with them unwelcome changes.
Slovak partisans, bravely fighting against Nazi superiority, would never have succeeded to such an extent if they had not been supported by the villagers. Despite the threat of repression, it is the villagers who care for the wounded, hide them, and behave conscientiously. Although the film was made in the late 1960s, it fully adopts the patterns of partisan stories, perhaps the only thing it can be credited with is a more developed sense of authenticity in the story, characters, and setting.