On the Poacher’s Path

Any discussion on popular Czechoslovak film series for children is unlikely to overlook the trilogy about little Prague boy Vašek and his stays with beloved grandpa-gamekeeper Straka in the Šumava region. Director Václav Gajer started things off in 1978 with Pod Jezevčí skálou (Beneath Badger Rock), which saw him return to directing after an eight-year ban imposed in response to his political opinions. After the success of the first film, Gajer and co-screenwriter Václav Pohl followed up with this stand-alone sequel entitled Na pytlácké stezce (On the Poacher’s Path). It is often considered the best film of the series, thanks to a plot that does not fall far short of a detective story. The tale unfolds after the adventurous Vašek, yearning to return to his dear granddad with whom he enjoyed such a tremendous time in the first film (in which he is sent to get some country air on doctor’s orders), resists his parents’ plans for a family holiday by the sea in Bulgaria. Determined to get to Šumava come what may, Vašek escapes home and sets out on his own. The family holiday is postponed – and the mischievous boy can instead devote himself to Straka’s search for a poacher, who is proving a real headache for the gamekeeper and his colleague Antoš. The dramatic climax takes place during a thunderstorm. Even the protagonists’ lives are now at stake... More than anything else, this family film sequel once again makes the most of the beautiful nature found in Šumava. There is compelling and authentic camera work from Rudolf Milič – for whom the Gajer trilogy served as a farewell to his cinematographic craft. Vašek and his grandpa are played by popular child actor Tomáš Holý (1968-1990) and Slovak actor Gustáv Valach, respectively. It goes without saying that they both reappeared a year later for the third and last film in the series, Za trnkovým keřem (Behind the Blackthorn). The Ostrava studios of Czech Television would go on to use the characters in a 13-part series called Přátelé Zeleného údolí (The Friends of the Green Valley, 1980). However, this time around, the names as well as the actors were changed. The good-natured gamekeeper was portrayed by Vlado Müller, while Martin Čížek played the unruly boy. As a bonus, a comedy line runs through the second instalment of the Šumava film trilogy with the introduction of two ramblers (Karel Heřmánek and Pavel Zedníček).