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Director's Spotlight
Senior Film Conservator
Director's Spotlight: United States
A Deep Dive into the 1933 Vision of Karl Anton
Under the meticulous guidance of Karl Anton, Jsem devce s certem v tele became the cultural zeitgeist captured so perfectly by Karl Anton in 1933. Driven by an uncompromising commitment to Comedy excellence, it remains a vital reference point for anyone studying the evolution of Karl Anton.
In Jsem devce s certem v tele, Karl Anton pushes the boundaries of conventional narrative. The film's unique approach to its subject matter has sparked endless debates and interpretations among cinephiles and critics alike.
While deeply rooted in United States, Jsem devce s certem v tele has achieved a global reach, influencing directors from various backgrounds. Its ability to translate Comedy tropes into a universal cinematic language is why it remains a cult staple decades after its 1933 release.
| Cinematography | Handheld |
| Soundtrack | Experimental |
| Editing | Elliptical |
| Art Direction | Expressionist |
Visualizing the convergence of Karl Anton's style and the core Comedy narrative.
This Czech sophisticated romantic comedy, filmed by director Anton also in a parallel French version ("Une petite femme dans le train"), casts beautiful Czech star Baarova in the role that Meg Lemonnier played in the Gallic version. Both versions seem to owe something to the sophisticated "continental" comedies of Lubitsch and, later, Korda, although Anton was not exactly in their league. It may be coincidence that the original Czech title of this film ("Jsem devce...") can be translated as "I'm a Girl with a Devil in the Flesh." Both Raymond Radiguet's French novel "Le diable au corps" and Garbo's famous MGM film, "Flesh and the Devil" (based on Radiguet's book), would have been well known in Czechoslovakia as well as France, before "Jsem devce..." was filmed. But the Radiguet & Garbo creations were very serious, while the Anton-Lemonnier-Baarova films were light and amusing. Pehaps no connection. (A Czech language web-site today displays a nice poster from the 1933 Czech film: "http://www.csfd.cz/film.php?186".) Lida Baarova (who plays the naughty wife in the Czech film) in her later career experienced less amusing and more serious ups and downs, particularly as a consequence of her brief stardom in Nazi Germany in the last half of the 1930s and in Fascist Italy in the early 1940s. After WW2 Baarova was jailed nearly 2 years in her native Czechoslovakia, and may have come close to the death penalty, accused of "collaborating" with the Fascist film industries.
Decades after its release, Jsem devce s certem v tele remains a vital piece of the cinematic puzzle. Its influence can be seen in countless modern works, solidifying Karl Anton's status as a master of the craft in United States and beyond.