Summary
Božena Němcová´s fairytale Čertův švagr (The Devil´s Brother-in-Law) has inspired several film adaptations. As well as two films for television (a 1969 production directed by Věra Jordánová and a 1984 outing by Vlasta Janečková), its storyline was also used to create S čerty nejsou žerty (Don’t Play Around with Devils, 1984), a diabolic comedy directed by Hynek Bočan. The screenplay, written in collaboration with Jiří Just, derives much of its comedy from an appealing depiction of Hell and its fiendishly entertaining inhabitants. The mightiest figure in the underworld is Prince Lucifer XIV. He uses his dark powers to help the young hero of the tale, Petr the miller, find happiness. In doing so, he must vanquish the greedy Dorota, who tries to take over the old mill, and then punish the rapacious governor who has ruined the princedom. He also helps his young protégé to become rich and to obtain the love of Adélka, the beautiful daughter of a local prince… In Bočan’s successful reworking of the fairytale, the devils do not merely serve as agents of darkness or comical fools but also as custodians of justice who help the people stand up against their evil and greedy adversaries. However, the true hero of this merry tale is the young miller Petr, who achieves happiness not only by means of a magical coat producing an endless supply of gold coins, but also because of his bravery and cunning. Don’t Play Around with Devils was a popular fantasy film among children thanks to intelligent humour that did not underestimate its audience. The narrative employs a traditional fairytale morality unhampered by considerations of age, sex, social status or background. Cameraman Jaromír Šofr and composer Jaroslav Uhlíř also made significant contributions to the film’s success. The versatile Vladimír Dlouhý starred as Petr. Karel Heřmánek (Lucifer XIV) and Ondřej Vetchý (Janek) played the devils with obvious zeal. Petr Nárožný also stole a scene as the nettlesome corporal who tries in vain to turn Petr and Janek into soldiers.
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