Discostory

The songs of Michal David added a pop panache to a number of Czech films in the 1980s. One of the most popular movies in which they could be heard was this comedy by director Jaroslav Soukup from 1987. He also made other popular films for young people – Láska z pasáže (Love from the Arcade) and Kamarád do deště (A Good Pal), which also had a sequel, like Discopříběh (Discostory, 1991). This musically attuned spectacle, which is one of the most typical populist titles of the decade, describes the fate of a 16-year-old apprentice chimney sweep, Jirka, and his widowed father Jiří. He is worried about his son, because he has to constantly smooth out his troublesome exploits. Ultimately, however, a reconciliation between the generations occurs, in which the young hero and his peers simply demand that their “parents take them seriously.” Jaroslav Soukup worked on the script with Boris Janíček (real name: Eduard Pergner), who also wrote lyrics for songs that are the means by which the youthful hero represents a world of infantile optimism in the spirit of the official “discotheque” pop culture. Like the target audience, the familiar tone and relaxed humour were primarily aimed at youthful apprentices. One of the film’s interesting aspects is its “decentralisation,” i.e. unlike most similar movies it does not take place in Prague, but in Plzeň… The role of Jirka Horáček was the first major acting opportunity for the youngest Rudolf Hrušínský, whom Soukup also cast in Svatba upírů (Vampire Wedding) as well as in two comedies from the Byl jednou jeden polda (There Once Was a Cop) series of movies, which also starred the experienced Ladislav Potměšil, who played the role of the troubled hero’s bricklayer father in Disco Story. Jirka’s insincere love, Eva, was played by Mariana Slováková, who subsequently appeared in Soukup’s romantic film Divoká srdce (Famous Duels, 1989). However, Jaroslava Bobková, who played the nice hairdresser, Jitka, did not pursue a career acting in films.