Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
(1970)
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Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
(1970)
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| Cast overview: | |||
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Jaroslava Schallerová | ... | |
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Helena Anýzová | ... |
Babicka /
Elsa /
Matka /
Rusovláska
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Petr Kopriva | ... |
Orlík
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Jirí Prýmek | ... |
Tchor-konstábl
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Jan Klusák | ... |
Gracián
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Libuse Komancová | ... |
Sluzka-novicka
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Karel Engel | ... |
Kocí Ondrej
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Alena Stojáková | ... |
Hedvika
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Otto Hradecký | ... |
Statkár
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Martin Wielgus | ... |
Tchor-father
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Jirina Machalická | ... |
Kvetinárka
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Michaela Klocová | ... |
Sluzka
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Zdenka Kovárová | ... |
Sluzka
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Bedriska Chalupská | ... |
Sluzka
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Robert Nezval | ... |
Muzikant
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A thief awakens Valerie, just 13, taking earrings left to her by her mother. By morning, the earrings have been returned, Valerie's first period has begun, and a troupe and a missionary have arrived in her Medieval town. The thief is Orick; he reports to a cloaked constable who may also be the missionary. Attention to sexuality is everywhere: Valerie's grandmother's puritanical nature, the missionary's sermon to the town's virgins, the parish priest's attempt to seduce Valerie, and lusty adults at play. Valerie's nascent sexuality puts her in great danger. Can she navigate the passage from innocence to experience, a route teaming with vampires, a murderer, and an obscure family tree? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
A "coming of age" story like no other, this Czech Gothic fairytale is possibly the most lyrical film ever made. Valerie, a 13 year old staying with her grandmother while her parents are away has her first menstruation, triggering a series of interlocking dreams about lustful vampires who prey upon her youth. Despite the monstrous goings-on, the film is a buoyant and sensual pleasure to watch. The camera-work and composition never ceases to amaze and the energy of its tuneful folklike score propels the convoluted story forward effortlessly. And much credit should be given to Jaroslava Schallerova as Valerie who inhabits the role with the right balance of knowledge and wonder