Jánošík (1921 film)
| Jánošík | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Jaroslav Jerry Siakeľ |
| Produced by | Ján Závodný |
| Written by |
Novel: Gustáv Maršall-Petrovský Play: Jiří Mahen Screenplay: Jozef Žák-Marušiak Jaroslav Jerry Siakeľ Daniel Siakeľ |
| Starring | Theodor Pištěk Mária Fábryová Vladimír Šrámek Jozef Chylo |
| Cinematography | Daniel Siakeľ Oldřich Beneš |
| Distributed by | Biografia |
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Release date
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25 Nov. 1921 (Czechoslovakia) 1 Dec. 1921 (U.S.) 3 Jan. 1922 (Slovakia) |
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Running time
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68 min |
| Country |
Slovakia United States Czechoslovakia |
| Language | Silent |
| Budget | $14,500 |
| Box office | 19 mil. crowns (Czechoslovakia) |
Jánošík is a Slovak black-and-white silent film from 1921. It relates the popular legend of the highwayman Juraj Jánošík. It shows the filmmakers' experience with early American movies in camera work, in the use of parallel narratives, and in sequences inspired by Westerns. Jánošík placed Slovak filmmaking as the 10th national cinema in the world to produce a full-length feature movie.
The story is set in the early 18th century when many farmers in the Habsburg monarchy were obligated to work in a nobleman’s fields for two days a week. The location is the Kingdom of Hungary’s north-western Carpathians with a Slovak majority population. Juraj Jánošík (Theodor Pištěk), a young, imposing seminary student, returns to his home village to find that his ailing mother has just died. Count Šándor (Vladimír Šrámek), however, would not release Jánošík’s father (Karel Schleichert) from his weekly obligations for her funeral and has the father caned, which proves fatal for the old man. Jánošík assaults the Count and escapes from the village.
While on the run, Jánošík finds himself fighting on the side of a band of highwaymen in a skirmish with the Count’s cohort commanded by Pišta (Jozef Chylo), discards the frock, joins the band, and takes over the band's leadership. Jánošík’s band parties in the mountains, robs traveling noblemen, and uses disguise to rob the guests at the noblemen's County Ball only to redistribute the booty among the farmers.
Jánošík rekindles a love affair with his childhood sweetheart Anička (Mária Fábryová), who is sexually harassed by the Count. The local priest (František Horlivý) helps Jánošík with the cover-up during his visits to the village. However, his frequent calls and yet another scuffle with the Count prove to be his undoing. With the help of a betrayer, the Count's men learn about Jánošík's whereabouts and overpower him and his band during a drinking party in a tavern. Jánošík is hanged.
The central narrative is framed in a story set around the time of the film’s release, in which a hiker (Theodor Pištěk) and friends (Mária Fábryová, Jozef Chylo) pause at a mountain sheepfold where the head shepherd comments on the hiker’s stature similar to the legendary Jánošík’s and narrates for them the film’s storyline.
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