František Čáp (7 December 1913 – 12 January 1972), also known as Franz Cap in Germany, was a Czech and later a Yugoslav
film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
and
screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
. He directed 32 films between 1939 and 1970. Having created Slovene film classics such as ''
Vesna
Vesna (Cyrillic: Весна) was a mythological female character associated with youth and springtime in early Slavic mythology, particularly within Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia and Slovenia. Along with her male companion Vesnik, she was asso ...
'', ''
Ne čakaj na maj
''Ne čakaj na maj'' (lit. ''Do Not Wait for May'', with the English title ''Don't Whisper'') is a 1957 Slovene romantic comedy directed by František Čap. It is a sequel to the 1953 film ''Vesna
Vesna (Cyrillic: Весна) was a mythologic ...
'' and ''
Our Car'', he is also one of the most popular directors of early Slovene cinema in 1950s and the 1960s.
Life
Čáp was born in
Čachovice (now in central
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
).
As an already established professional, he moved to
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
in 1952, following an invitation by
Branimir Tuma, director of
Triglav Film
''Triglav Film'' is a Slovenian film studio based in Ljubljana. Established in 1947, it is the second studio founded in post-World War II Yugoslavia. It is named after Triglav
Triglav (; german: Terglau; it, Tricorno), with an elevation of , ...
.
In 1957, he moved to
Portorož
Portorož (; it, Portorose) is a Slovenian Adriatic seaside resort and spa town located in the Municipality of Piran in southwestern Slovenia. Its modern development began in the late 19th century with the vogue for the first health resorts. In ...
, a coastal town in southwestern Slovenia, where he lived until his death.
Work
Prior to his arrival in Yugoslavia, Čáp was praised as the young star of Czech cinema. During World War II he directed a dozen light romantic dramas and melodramas, among them the internationally acclaimed ''
Nocturnal Butterfly
''Nocturnal Butterfly'' ( cs, Noční motýl) is a 1941 Czech drama film directed by František Čáp based on a novel by Karel Novák. It was shown in 9th Venice Film Festival where it won a prize Targa di segnalazione.
The film was dubbed into ...
'' which won a prize at the Venice film festival, and ''
Men Without Wings
''Men Without Wings'' ( cs, Muži bez křídel) is a 1946 Czech drama film directed by František Čáp. It was entered into the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, where it was one of the winners of the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film, late ...
'' which won a prize for Best Director in Cannes. His last Czechoslovak film ''
The White Darkness'', his personal favorite, put him in conflict with the communist authorities. After the criticism his film received by workers jury at Zlín film festival, Čáp called the jury "morons who don't understand
isfilms". This didn't go well in communist Czechoslovakia and he was banned from directing movies. He fled to West Germany, where he directed three films, including ''
All Clues Lead to Berlin
''All Clues Lead to Berlin'' (german: Die Spur führt nach Berlin) is a 1952 West German thriller film directed by František Čáp and starring Gordon Howard, Irina Garden and Kurt Meisel. It is also known by the alternative titles ''Adventure i ...
'' which was distributed to many countries. He arrived in Yugoslavia by invitation of the director of a Slovene film production company Branimir Tuma, to help in the development of the Slovene film industry in the 1950s.
[Vrdlovec, Zdenko (2013), ''Zgodovina filma na slovenskem'', Ljubljana: UMco.]
In the 1950s and 1960s Čap directed five films for Triglav film and another six co-productions and non-Slovene productions. Čáp's first Yugoslav film, romantic comedy ''
Vesna
Vesna (Cyrillic: Весна) was a mythological female character associated with youth and springtime in early Slavic mythology, particularly within Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia and Slovenia. Along with her male companion Vesnik, she was asso ...
'' (1953), had elements of
Heimatfilm
' (, German for "homeland-films"; German singular: ') were films of a genre popular in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. ''Heimat'' can be translated as "home" (in the geographic sense), "hometown" or "homela ...
and pre-World War II Czech and Austrian melodrama, and proved highly successful both artistically and commercially, as did its sequel ''
Ne čakaj na maj
''Ne čakaj na maj'' (lit. ''Do Not Wait for May'', with the English title ''Don't Whisper'') is a 1957 Slovene romantic comedy directed by František Čap. It is a sequel to the 1953 film ''Vesna
Vesna (Cyrillic: Весна) was a mythologic ...
'' (1957).
''Vesna'' remains one of the most popular Slovene classics. It took the place of the first commercial film - and the first comedy - in Slovene cinema, and was precisely the urban, modern and technically exquisite film that Triglav film had hoped for when it employed Čap.
Čap's second Slovene film was a war drama ''
Trenutki odločitve'' (Moments of Decision, 1955) about the urgency of reconciliation between partisans and white guards, a topic with which he produced the first censored film in Slovenia.
[Stanković, Peter (2013), ''Čapovi slovenski igrani celovečerci'', ''KINO!'' 21.]
During his "Yugoslav era", Čap did not only engage in Slovene productions, but in various other acclaimed productions and co-productions. He directed ''
Am Anfang war es Sünde'' (''Sin'' / ''Greh'', 1954, Saphir Film) and the romantic drama ''
La ragazza della salina'' (''Sand, Love and Salt'' / ''Kruh in sol'', 1957), which featured
Marcello Mastroianni
Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (28 September 1924 – 19 December 1996) was an Italian film actor, regarded as one of his country's most iconic male performers of the 20th century. He played leading roles for many of Italy's top di ...
. For Bosna film, he directed a drama about juvenile delinquency ''
Vrata ostaju otvorena'' (''The Door Remains Open'', 1959), introducing
Milena Dravić
Milena Dravić ( sr-Cyrl, Милена Дравић, ; 5 October 1940 – 14 October 2018) was a Yugoslav and Serbian film, television and theatre actress.
Biography
Born in Belgrade, Dravić became involved with performing arts at the age of fou ...
, one of the leading film stars in Yugoslavia, in her very first film role, and another comedy ''
Srešćemo se večeras'' (''Meet You Tonight'', 1962).
In 1956 Čáp shot ''
Die Geierwally'' (''The Vulture Wally''), based on the novel by
Wilhelmine von Hillern, in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, while ''X-25 javlja'' ("X-25 Reports", 1960), a World War II spy thriller set in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, saw extensive international theatrical release as well.
However, after his poorly received comedy ''
Naš avto'' (''Our Car'', 1962), Čáp was unable to find work in Yugoslavia and he turned to direct for television. He was engaged in directing a TV series and two TV films for German and Austrian televisions.
In Slovenia where he lived, though, he was only able to participate in one more production, directing a short film ''
Piran
Piran (; it, Pirano ) is a town in southwestern Slovenia on the Gulf of Piran on the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the three major towns of Slovenian Istria. The town is known for its medieval architecture, with narrow streets and compact houses. P ...
'' (1965).
Criticism and reception
Contemporary Slovene film criticism widely accepts that the 5 films that František Čap directed in Slovene, ''Vesna'', ''
Trenutki odločitve'', ''Ne čakaj na maj'', ''
X 25 Reports'' and ''
Our Car'', introduced a Hollywood type of narrative and cosmopolitan appearance to 1950's Slovene cinema. Though struggling with negative criticism in his own time, today Čáp is praised as a craftsman who helped the undeveloped Slovene and Yugoslav cinema – at the time infected with dilettante technical standards, problematic focus on local issues and stiff literary adaptations – to rise to the level of an exquisite craft with universal intelligibility.
Some critics viewed it as "genre cinema" — as Čáp mostly directed comedies, thrillers, and melodramas — though these do not correspond strictly to genre rules. "Mainstream cinema" is a term that more accurately describes its aim to attract the audience by means of a classical, easily intelligible narrative, and by emphasizing the story and dramatic structure, not so much qualities of cinema as an art form.
The negative reviews of Čáp's work occurred mostly during the times of 1960's, 70's and 80's Yugoslavian film criticism. The orthodox communist reviewers saw in it a bourgeois threat to socialist values, and a conservative return to the middle class phantom concepts (e.g. The idea of innocent romantic love).
They also minded Čáp's comedies’ prevailing themes of spoiled youth and their sexual awakening in ''Vesna'' and ''Ne čakaj na maj''.
[Štefančič, Marcel (2005): Na svoji zemlji. ''Zgodovina slovenskega filma'', Ljubljana: UMco.]
The name object of early criticism, however, was the misrepresentation (or lack of representation) of Slovene culture in Čáp's cinema, especially in the hugely popular comedies. A number of reviewers saw Čáp as a foreigner who has never assimilated to Slovene culture. They resented that the films were not specific enough and could be set anywhere in Central Europe. These reviews seem traditionalist and xenophobic from contemporary point of view. Contemporary Slovene film theorists have largely praised Čáp's "foreignness" or "otherness", reasoning that his ignorance for regional values and conflicts has actually helped him to maintain the necessary objective distance and his particular sense of film direction and storytelling.
Čáp and Slovene
Contrary to complaints regarding the generic nature of the films, it is well recognized that Čáp contributed drastically to the adaptation of Slovene for cinematic use. The dialogues were fluent and had substance, there was plenty of wordplays, verbal comedy, urban slang and authentic regional accents. The dialogues from Čap's comedies came into general usage and became items of universal joking across generations and nation. Whereas Slovene in pre-Čap cinema had not functioned well, Čáp invented a slang liberated from constraints of purism and theatricality. Thus the director, while being attacked for directing un-Slovene films by many reviewers, in fact enriched Slovene language and culture.
[Krečič, Jela (2013), “Vesna in Ne čakaj na maj: kako smo v sivini realsocialističnega vsakdana prišli do komičnega duha”, ''KINO!'' 21.]
Selected filmography
* ''
A Step into the Darkness'' (1937) - screenwriter only
* ''
Virginity
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
'' (1937) - screenwriter only
* ''
Fiery Summer'' (1939)
* ''
Grandmother
Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually-reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a maximum of four genetics, ge ...
'' (1940)
* ''
Jan Cimbura
''Jan Cimbura'' is a 1941 Czech drama film directed by František Čáp and starring Gustav Nezval, Jiřina Štěpničková and Jaroslav Průcha.Kubátová & Láníček p.26
Main cast
* Gustav Nezval as Jan Cimbura
* Jiřina Štěpničková as Ma ...
'' (1941)
* ''
Nocturnal Butterfly
''Nocturnal Butterfly'' ( cs, Noční motýl) is a 1941 Czech drama film directed by František Čáp based on a novel by Karel Novák. It was shown in 9th Venice Film Festival where it won a prize Targa di segnalazione.
The film was dubbed into ...
'' (1941)
* ''
Mist on the Moors
''Mist on the Moors'' ( cs, Mlhy na Blatech) is a 1943 Czech drama film directed by František Čáp based on a novel by Karel Klostermann.
Cast
*Zdeněk Štěpánek as Farmer Josef Potužák
*Marie Blažková as Potužák's wife
*Vladimír Sala ...
'' (1944)
* ''
The Girl from Beskydy Mountains
''The Girl from Beskydy Mountains'' ( cs, Děvčica z Beskyd) is a 1944 Czech drama film directed by František Čáp based on a novel by Miloslav J. Sousedík.
Production
The film was shot in Beskydy Mountains. People of Hážovice, Tylovice a ...
'' (1944)
* ''
Men Without Wings
''Men Without Wings'' ( cs, Muži bez křídel) is a 1946 Czech drama film directed by František Čáp. It was entered into the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, where it was one of the winners of the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film, late ...
'' (1946)
* ''
Sign of the Anchor
''Sign of the Anchor'' (Czech:''Znamení kotvy'') is a 1947 Czech drama film directed by František Čáp and starring Hana Vítová, Zdeňka Baldová and Vlasta Fabianová.
The film's art direction was by Štěpán Kopecký.
Cast
* Hana V ...
'' (1947)
* ''
Muzikant'' (1948)
* ''
The White Darkness'' (1948)
* ''
Crown Jewels'' (1950)
* ''
All Clues Lead to Berlin
''All Clues Lead to Berlin'' (german: Die Spur führt nach Berlin) is a 1952 West German thriller film directed by František Čáp and starring Gordon Howard, Irina Garden and Kurt Meisel. It is also known by the alternative titles ''Adventure i ...
'' (1952)
* ''
Vesna
Vesna (Cyrillic: Весна) was a mythological female character associated with youth and springtime in early Slavic mythology, particularly within Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia and Slovenia. Along with her male companion Vesnik, she was asso ...
'' (1953)
* ''
The Beginning Was Sin
''The Beginning Was Sin'' (German: ''Am Anfang war es Sünde'') is a 1954 West-German-Yugoslavian drama film directed by František Čáp and starring Ruth Niehaus, Viktor Staal and Hansi Knoteck.
The film's sets were designed by the art dire ...
'' (Slovene: ''Greh'') (1954)
* ''
Moments of Decision
Moment or Moments may refer to:
* Present time
Music
* The Moments, American R&B vocal group Albums
* ''Moment'' (Dark Tranquillity album), 2020
* ''Moment'' (Speed album), 1998
* ''Moments'' (Darude album)
* ''Moments'' (Christine Guldbran ...
'' (Slovene: ''Trenutki odločitve'') (1955)
* ''
The Vulture Wally'' (1956)
* ''
Don't Whisper'' (Slovene:
Ne čakaj na maj
''Ne čakaj na maj'' (lit. ''Do Not Wait for May'', with the English title ''Don't Whisper'') is a 1957 Slovene romantic comedy directed by František Čap. It is a sequel to the 1953 film ''Vesna
Vesna (Cyrillic: Весна) was a mythologic ...
) (1957)
* ''
Sand, Love and Salt'' (Slovene: ''Kruh in sol'') (1957)
* ''
The Door Remains Open'' (Bosnian: ''Vrata ostaju otvorena'') (1957)
* ''
X 25 Reports'' (Slovene: ''X 25 javlja'') (1960)
* ''
Meet You Tonight'' (Bosnian: ''Srešćemo se večeras'') (1962)
* ''
Our Car'' (Slovene: Naš avto) (1962)
* ''Mafia – Die ehrenwerte Gesellschaft'' (1966, TV miniseries)
* ' (1968–1969, TV series)
Awards
* ''
Nocturnal Butterfly
''Nocturnal Butterfly'' ( cs, Noční motýl) is a 1941 Czech drama film directed by František Čáp based on a novel by Karel Novák. It was shown in 9th Venice Film Festival where it won a prize Targa di segnalazione.
The film was dubbed into ...
'' - Targa di segnalazione at 1941
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
* ''
Men Without Wings
''Men Without Wings'' ( cs, Muži bez křídel) is a 1946 Czech drama film directed by František Čáp. It was entered into the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, where it was one of the winners of the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film, late ...
'' -
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
at
1946 Cannes Film Festival
The 1st annual Cannes Film Festival was held from 20 September to 5 October 1946. Twenty-one countries presented their films at the "First Cannes International Film Festival", which took place at the former Casino of Cannes. Only one year after t ...
* ''
Vesna
Vesna (Cyrillic: Весна) was a mythological female character associated with youth and springtime in early Slavic mythology, particularly within Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia and Slovenia. Along with her male companion Vesnik, she was asso ...
'' - The Critics' Choice Award at the 1954
Pula Film Festival
Pula Film Festival ( hr, Pulski filmski festival) is an annual Croatian film festival, established in 1954. It is held in a Roman amphitheater known as the Pula Arena. Pula Film Festival is the oldest Croatian film festival and is usually held in ...
* ''
Moments of Decision
Moment or Moments may refer to:
* Present time
Music
* The Moments, American R&B vocal group Albums
* ''Moment'' (Dark Tranquillity album), 2020
* ''Moment'' (Speed album), 1998
* ''Moments'' (Darude album)
* ''Moments'' (Christine Guldbran ...
'' -
Big Golden Arena for Best Film
The Golden Arena awards were established in 1955 as the Yugoslav national film awards presented annually at the Pula Film Festival in Pula, Croatia, with the Big Golden Arena for Best Film its main prize. From 1955 to 1990 the awards were the Yu ...
at the 1955
Pula Film Festival
Pula Film Festival ( hr, Pulski filmski festival) is an annual Croatian film festival, established in 1954. It is held in a Roman amphitheater known as the Pula Arena. Pula Film Festival is the oldest Croatian film festival and is usually held in ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cap, Frantisek
1913 births
1972 deaths
People from Mladá Boleslav District
People from the Kingdom of Bohemia
Czech film directors
Czechoslovak film directors
Czech screenwriters
Male screenwriters
Yugoslav film directors
Yugoslav screenwriters
German-language film directors
Slovene-language film directors
LGBT film directors
LGBT screenwriters
Directors of Palme d'Or winners
Golden Arena for Best Director winners
20th-century screenwriters
20th-century LGBT people
Czechoslovak emigrants to Yugoslavia