The Emperor and the Golem

The Emperor and the Golem
Directed by	Martin Frič, Jiří Krejčík
Written by	Jan Werich Jiří Brdečka
Starring	Jan Werich, Jiří Plachý, Zdeněk Štěpánek, Bohuš Záhorský, František Filipovský, Marie Vášová, Nataša Gollová, František Černý
Music by	Julius Kalaš
Release date(s)	1951 (Czechoslovakia) 1955 (USA)
Running time	86 + 69 min or 112 min
Country	Czechoslovakia
Language	Czech

The Emperor and the Golem (Czech: Císařův pekař a Pekařův císař) is a two-part Czech historical comedy film produced in 1951. It was originally directed by Jiří Krejčík, but after disputes with Jan Werich, Jiří Krejčík was replaced by Martin Frič.^[1] In addition to the two-part version, a 112-minute long one-part international version was produced, with propaganda scenes cut out. The film was filmed in color (not common for Czechoslovak films in that period) because of the international release.

The film is set during the reign of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor. It is one of the best known film with Jan Werich (performing a dual role of Emperor and baker).

The film was created in Czechoslovak early socialistic era and the songs (and partially the story itself) are flavoured with socialistic propaganda. The propaganda scenes were cut out in the international (US) version.

Plot

It first follows the aging and eccentric Rudolf II, who refuses to hear out ambassadors and falls into fits, destroying vases and dishes. The conflict between he and his brother Matthias, is demonstrated here. He welcomes Magister Edward Kelly in his palace and shows him around.

He keeps an alchemist laboratory in his palace, where generally either swindlers or fools work (one desires to materialize dark, another beats with a hammer on a piece of metal and immediately begins to examine it, wishing to change it into gold). There is also a character who, when the Emperor asks him of his doings, always begins to babble in a senseless language (in the end, it is revealed that he has been making "slivovice", a well known Czech plum brandy ).

One character, Alessandro Scotta (called Honza Skoták), appears repeatedly: instead of experimenting, he cooks sausages and approaches the emperor with a cleaning product, with which he immediately cleans the floor, making it slippery and causing another person to slip, to the amusement of the Emperor. Rudolf is obsessed with finding the Golem. He and Scotta later accidentally stumble upon him while performing a magic ritual (not as its result). But he does not have the Shem and cannot awaken him.

The movie then follows a baker, Matew, Matěj (also played by Werich, but as a younger man than Rudolf) who is confronted with angry people who want bread but cannot receive it, because it is meant for royalty. He is later imprisoned in the dungeons for spreading bread to poor people.

Later on, Kelly reveals his homunculus, to whom the Emperor wishes to teach everything of our world (not knowing that she is a plain country girl, acting after coercion by Kelly). She and Matěj communicate through vents between Kelly's room and the dungeons.

Later the Emperor takes part in what is supposed to make him young again by Alessandro Scotta's drink of youth (which is actually a mix of strong alcoholic drinks and morphium). Then he and his entourage ride on a carriage to country side to remind themselves of the sins of their misspent youth.

Meanwhile Matěj escapes the dungeons. Unknowing subjects of the Emperor find the fugitive (who bears a supreme likeness to the Emperor in his young days) in a bath and, believing the rejuvenation to have worked out hold him for the emperor. Matěj gets into an embarrassed scene with the emperor's "consort" (something like a guest, only longer staying and generally arguing with Rudolf). He believes he killed her and puts her on top of a two-story bed.

A sphere of intrigue (shown rather humorously) between the emperor's councilors is shown and all basically want the shem, which a hound is spotted to have. Matěj (as the emperor) sits as a table with Tycho de Brahe and talks about planets and as the astronomer demonstrates the moving of planets with the wine grails, he mixes a wine grail with poison, arranged by the councilors. They are stunned, unknowing which grail is the poisoned one, take theirs on Matěj's demands.

The situation escalates, as the Golem is awakened and destroys the general, who wanted to use him to conquer the whole world. The Emperor returns and chaos is at large. The Matěj manages to reason Golem into stopping and then uses his power to bake for the poor.

Cast

• Jan Werich as Rudolf II / pekar Matej
• Marie Vásová as Countess Katharina Strada
• Natasa Gollová as Katerina aka Sirael
• Bohus Záhorský as Lang, komorí
• Jirí Plachý as Edward Kelley
• Zdenek Stepánek as Rusworm, marsál
• Frantisek Filipovský as Court astrologer
• Frantisek Cerný as Scotta
• Václav Trégl as Emperor's servant
• Vladimír Leraus as Hungarian delegate
• Milos Nedbal as Court doctor
• Bohus Hradil as Tycho de Brahe (as B. Hradil)
• Frantisek Holar as Commander of guard (as F. Holar)

References

1. ^ "Císařův pekař – Pekařův císař". csfd.cz. http://www.csfd.cz/film/3094-cisaruv-pekar-pekaruv-cisar/. Retrieved 2011-02-05. 

External links

• Císařův pekař a pekařův císař at the Internet Movie Database
• Císařův pekař a pekařův císař at AllRovi