Cutting It Short
Cutting It Short (also released as Shortcuts) (Czech: Postřižiny) is a 1980 Czechoslovak comedy film directed by Jiří Menzel. It is based on the novel Postřižiny by Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal. The story is set in a brewery in a Czech small town.[1]
| Cutting It Short | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jiří Menzel |
| Written by | Jiří Menzel Bohumil Hrabal |
| Cinematography | Jaromír Šofr |
| Edited by | Jiří Brožek |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | Czechoslovakia |
| Language | Czech |
| Budget | 4,000,000 koruna |
The film is an evocation of the childhood memories of Bohumil Hrabal in his provincial town of Nymburk, dominated by the local brewery. The main actors of the film, uncle Pepin and Maryška, are based on real family members of Hrabal: Maryška on his mother and uncle Pepin on his real uncle, who came to stay two weeks in the town but remained for forty years. His spontaneous stories influenced a lot of Hrabal's literary work.[2]
The film was entered into the main competition at the 38th edition of the Venice Film Festival.[3]
According to the film critic and historian Peter Hames, Cutting It Short, which frequently quotes or refers to silent comedy, is one of the best post-Tati comedies.[2]
Theodor Pištěk designed the costumes for the film.
Cast
- Magda Vášáryová as Maryška
- Jiří Schmitzer as Francin
- Jaromír Hanzlík as Pepin
- Rudolf Hrušínský (II) as Dr. Gruntorád
- Petr Čepek as Pán de Giogi
- Oldřich Vlach as Ruzicka
- František Řehák as Vejvoda
- Miloslav Štibich as Bernádek
- Alois Liškutín as Sefl
- Pavel Vondruška as Lustig
- Rudolf Hrušínský (III) as stable boy
- Miroslav Donutil as scrub
- Oldřich Vízner as Doda Cervinka
References
- Entry on Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze (in Czech)
- Hames, Peter (2011). Menzel and Hrabal (booklet included with the DVD). Second Run DVD.
- Adriano Aprà, Giuseppe Ghigi, Patrizia Pistagnesi. Cinquant'anni di cinema a Venezia. La Biennale di Venezia, 1982. ISBN 8820802988.