Cinema
Dragon's Return
Drak sa vracia
Eduard Grečner · 1967
Synopsis
Martin Lepiš, a potter nicknamed the Dragon, whom his village wrongly accuses of ill intentions, was banished despite an act of courage. He returns one day to his native village, where the neighbours welcome him by announcing dark days, and flashbacks tell of his past love for Eva, who has become Šimon's wife. When the village's cattle are threatened, the Dragon sets off to save them, across the mountain, with Šimon, who distrusts him.
Context
The director adapts a short story by Dobroslav Chrobák, after having defended the project for at least ten years. The cinematography is by Vincent Rosinec, the music by Ilja Zeljenka, a score close to a cantata that mixes whispers and electroacoustic sounds; the Czech Radovan Lukavský plays the title role, with Emília Vášáryová and Gustáv Valach. The film was to be shown at the 1968 Pesaro festival, which demonstrators, Godard among them, interrupted. Restored, it was presented at Karlovy Vary in 2023 and released on DVD by Second Run.
Who it is for
A black-and-white ballad, slow and spellbinding, in which the landscapes matter as much as the characters.
Prizes and reception
Regarded as its director's most important film, and rediscovered by festivals since its restoration.