Ivo Žídek

It happened during the reign of King Vladislav Jagiellon: the rebellious knight Dalibor is sentenced to death. An attempt to free him fails. This underappreciated transcription of Smetana's opera surprises with its fresh originality, even compared to much later attempts to translate musical-dramatic works to the screen.

The film, in individual episodes, captures the fate of Bedřich Smetana from 1856 until the end of his life, from his young years until the moment when, exhausted by human and artistic hardship, he sees the fulfillment of his great dream, the opening of the National Theatre.

Set in a South Bohemian village, this faithful film version of Smetana’s opera follows farmer Krušina’s plan to marry his daughter Mařenka to wealthy Vašek. Mařenka loves Jeník, a stranger. Through matchmaking schemer Kecal’s plots and revealed identities, true love triumphs in a festive village wedding.