Summary
Frána Šrámek's lyrical novel involving the first amorous confusions of a small-town teenager was shot by director Václav Krška in 1954 as a stylishly precise work that sidestepped the oppressive atmosphere of the time. The idealistic Jeník Ratkin is struggling with his narrow-minded father whom he sees as embodying the incomprehensible, hypocritical world of adults. Anička, who is "obsessed" but unable to break free from her dependence on conformist notions, plays the leading role in Jeník’s world of bittersweet experiences of first love… Krška cast his favourite actor, Eduard Cupák (who was then 22 years old) in the main role. He had appeared in the biopics Mladá léta (Early Days), about the nascent writer Alois Jirásek, and Z mého života (From My Life) about Antonín Dvořák. He also starred in another Šrámek opus – Měsíc nad řekou (Moon over the River) in which he played the sensitive student Vilík Roškot.
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