Summary
Perhaps no Czech silent film is as renowned as Gustav Machatý’s Erotikon of 1929. It has kept its place in the history of world cinema to this day, and not just because of its daring love scenes. Machatý’s film is set against the background of romantic disappointment, but it also touches on important topics of its time - the changing roles of men and women, emancipation, tradition and modernity. Machatý transformed a simple story by the poet Vítězslav Nezval into a modernist film of compositional sophistication. Striking contrasts of light, evocative visual symbols, and dynamic editing attest to the director’s and cinematographer’s mastery. Featuring an international cast led by the Slovenian star Ita Rina, the film was sold abroad even before its completion. Machatý later followed it with the sound film Extase (1932). The digitally restored film was presented in 2026 with a new orchestral score by Jana Vöröšová.
