Summary
A novelette by French author Honoré de Balzac served to inspire this 1940 costume drama, enabling writer-director Otakar Vávra to showcase his talents for staging big screen adventures. The cosmopolitan tone is very much in line with the escapist fare of Czechoslovak cinema during the era of the Nazi Protectorate. The story of widowed noble lady Lenka, whose unexpected meeting with a former lover plunges her into the thralls of amorous passions, serves to guide viewers through a stylised world of elegance, filled with romantic entanglements, beautiful costumes, and splendid set designs. This costly film reflects both Vávra’s undisputed talents as well as those of the alluring Lída Baarová, who shines as a true international movie star in the leading role. During this time in her career, Baarová was able to star in films in both occupied Czechoslovakia, and Nazi Germany. Jelizaveta Nikolská portrays a prima ballerina, while also supervising the choreography of the film’s dance numbers.
Read more
