1. The silent era: Introduction. A general view to the history of Czech cinema, periodization. The
silent era. Gustav Machatý: Erotikon (1929), Extase (1933).



Screenplay: Gustav Machatý. Director of photography: Václav Vích. Art director: Julius von Borsody,
Alexander Hackenschmied. Cast: Karel Schleichert (railway station guard), Ita Rina (Andrea), Olaf
Fjord (George Sydney), Theodor Pištěk (Hilbert), Charlotte Susa (Gilda), Luigi Serventi (Jean).
Running time: 85 min.


One rainy night a railway station guard offers shelter to an elegant traveler who has missed his
train. When the guard is called away the traveler, George is left alone with his daughter Andrea.
The young man of the world makes a big impression on Andrea...


„Erotikon is clearly one of the highlights of Czech cinema. Even its contemporaneous reviews
recognized and commented upon its unique position in the realm of Czech film. Especially noticed
were the direction and photographic virtuosity of a film that managed to transform the more or less
mawkish story of a railway guard’s seduced daughter into a highly captivating work. The photography
penetrated the inner world of the protagonists, their experiences, emotions and passions. However,
the presentation of this silent film in cinemas was not without problems. Cinema screens all over
the world then resounded with music, songs and speech, and all the Prague premiere cinemas had
already installed sound apparatus.”



Assigned reading:


Hames, Peter. The Czechoslovak New Wave: “Culture and Society, The Czechoslovak Cinematic
Tradition, p. 9-20”