On the Big River

In 1978, director Jan Schmidt released his sequel to his “prehistoric” adventure film Osada Havranů (The Ravens’ Stronghold, 1977). It was the second film in what would turn out to be a trilogy of movies inspired by the popular novels of writer Eduard Štorch. The young, inquisitive boy Havranpírko, or “Little Raven Feather” (Ludvík Hradílek), and his manly friend and guardian, the hunter Sokol, or “Falcon” (Jiří Bartoška), serve as the main characters (as is also the case in the final part in the series, Volání rodu [Indivisible Clan, 1979]). In this instalment, the two descendants of the Raven clan have to confront a mystical aggressor who is oppressing the neighbouring settlement of the Fishermen. They discover, however, that the attacks are not at all the work of a supernatural force. Sokol, meanwhile, learns the power of understanding and compassion. Though he desires to marry Veveřice, or “Squirrel Girl” (Marie Sýkorová), she shows no interest in him, so he lets her go. She is free to follow the voice of her heart. While with the Fishermen clan, Sokol encounters the beautiful girl Šťastná chvíle, or “Happy Moment” (Gabriela Osvaldová). She goes on to become one of the key characters in the final part of this trilogy.