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Jnok (1921 film)

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Wikipedia article




'Jnok' is a Slovak black-and-white silent film from 1921. It relates the popular legend of the highwayman Juraj Jnok. It shows the filmmakers' experience with early American movies in camera work, in the use of parallel narratives, and in sequences inspired by Westerns. 'Jnok' placed Slovak filmmaking as the 10th national cinema in the world to produce a full-length feature movie.Vclav Macek and Jelena Patkov, 'Dejiny slovenskej kinematografie.' Bratislava, 1997.

Plot summary



The story is set in the early 18th century when many farmers in the Habsburg monarchy were obligated to work in a nobleman's fields for two days a week. The location is the Kingdom of Hungary's north-western Carpathians with a Slovak majority population. Juraj Jnok (Theodor Pitk), a young, imposing seminary student, returns to his home village to find that his ailing mother has just died. Count ndor (Vladimr rmek), however, would not release Jnok's father (Karel Schleichert) from his weekly obligations for her funeral and has the father caned, which proves fatal for the old man. Jnok assaults the Count and escapes from the village.

While on the run, Jnok finds himself fighting on the side of a band of highwaymen in a skirmish with the Count's cohort commanded by Pita (Jozef Chylo), discards the frock, joins the band, and takes over the band's leadership. Jnok's band parties in the mountains, robs traveling noblemen, and uses disguise to rob the guests at the noblemen's County Ball only to redistribute the booty among the farmers.

Jnok rekindles a love affair with his childhood sweetheart Anika (Mria Fbryov), who is sexually harassed by the Count. The local priest (Frantiek Horliv) helps Jnok with the cover-up during his visits to the village. However, his frequent calls and yet another scuffle with the Count prove to be his undoing. With the help of a betrayer, the Count's men learn about Jnok's whereabouts and overpower him and his band during a drinking party in a tavern. Jnok is hanged.

The central narrative is framed in a story set around the time of the film's release, in which a hiker (Theodor Pitk) and friends (Mria Fbryov, Jozef Chylo) pause at a mountain sheepfold where the head shepherd comments on the hiker's stature similar to the legendary Jnok's and narrates for them the film's storyline.

Director



The film was directed by Slovak-American Jaroslav Siake (18961997). Born in Blatnica, Turiec County in central Slovakia and baptized 'Ludvik Jaroslav Siake,'[http://www.snk.sk/?jednotliviny-2 Archv litaratry a umenia SNK] he immigrated to the United States in 1912 at the age of 16 and used 'Ludwig Jerry' as his given names in English. He used the names 'Jaroslav' and 'Jerry' in personal contacts.

Company



The film 'Jnok' was made and financed by the Tatra Film Corporation founded by Slovak-Americans in Chicago at 1543 W. Chicago Ave., and incorporated in Illinois with a capital stock of $50,000 (as printed on its shares; sources mention lower amounts). The company's chief founder was its Secretary Samuel Fbry, a Chicago businessman. Its Board of Directors also included President Samuel Tvaroek, Vice-President Richard Blaha, and Business Manager Jn imo. Among the founders of Tatra Film were the brothers and future filmmakers Jaroslav Siake and Daniel Siake (18861964; immigrated in 1905) from Blatnica, Turiec County in central Slovakia. Both had experience with film equipment and processing, and limited experience with filmmaking from working for the Selig Polyscope Company in Chicago (some sources misidentify them as its owners or founders).

The producer of 'Jnok' was Jn Zvodn (18901980) from Brezov pod Bradlom in western Slovakia, a co-founder of Tatra Film, who owned the 500-seatKonrad Schiecke, 'Historic Movie Theaters in Illinois, 1883-1960.' Jefferson, NC, 2006. Casimir Theater (later Jeff Theater) in Chicago. It was filmed on location in the vicinity of the Siake brothers' birthplace in Slovakia,tefan Vratiak, "Stop rokov filmu na Slovensku." 'Slovensk divadlo,' 2001. on two sets constructed at the site, and finished on the sound stage at the A-B Studio in Prague.

Screenplay



Tatra Film commissioned the screenplay from the Slovak-American Jozef k-Maruiak (18851979; immigrated in 1911) from Lakrska Nov Ves, western Slovakia, who based it on a two-volume novel by the Slovak-American journalist Gustv Marall-Petrovsk (18621916). The novel was the filmmakers' original inspiration for making the movie.'Jnok, Captain of Mountain Lads His Tumultuous Life and Horrific Death.' Published in Slovak, New York, 1894. The screenplay had features of a shooting script. It was typed in Slovak, on a US typewriter without diacritics, with English camera directions. However, k-Maruiak delivered barely a third of the screenplay before the team's departure for Slovakia, some of it arrived by mail during the shoot, and the rest did not reach them before the film was finished. The filmmakers improvised and used the play 'Jnok' by Ji MahenPeter Mihlik, 'Vznik slovenskej nrodnej kinematografie 1896-1848.' Bratislava, 1994. translated to Slovak by Martin Rzus in 1920.

Cast



Most of the leading and supporting roles were given to professional or amateur actors. Theodor Pitk in the dual role of Jnok and of a hiker in the framing story was one of the most popular actors of the period who starred in nine other films in the same year. Pitk believed that he got the role thanks to 'Jnok's' art director and actor (priest) Frantiek Horliv, who was an amateur actor in Chicago, but used to work in the theater troupe organized by Pitk's father Jan in Prague.Theodor Pitk, "Hral som v tristo filmoch." 'Smena' June 1960. Mria Fbryov in the leading role of Jnok's lover Anika was an amateur actress from the town of Martin in Turiec County (and related by marriage to one of the best known Slovak poets Pavol Orszgh Hviezdoslav).[http://www.kinokultura.com/specials/3/votruba.shtml#cz1918 Martin Votruba, Historical and Cultural Background of Slovak Filmmaking] She got the part after her uncle Samuel Fbry, the chief founder and Secretary of Tatra Film, showed her photograph to the filmmakers and advanced her for the role.tefan Vratiak, et al. 'Jnok (1921): Osemdesiatiny filmu Jnok z roku 1921.' 'Slovensk divadlo,' 2001. The extras were local, and soldiers from the 18th Infantry Brigade at ilina.

Release dates



'Jnok' was shown informally to the film crew and friends in Vrtky, Turiec County, Slovakia, before its theatrical release, which is sometimes misquoted as its release date. It had premieres in Prague, in Chicago (Cicero, IL) at the now demolished 1150-seat Atlantic, and in ilina at the Grand Bio Universum (later Dom umenia Fatra).

The film was thought lost until 1970. It was restored by Jn Rumanovsk with a music soundtrack by Jozef Malovec in 1975.Viliam Jablonick, "Dokonen rekontrukcia filmu Jnok." 'Kinema,' 15 September 1981.

The restored version of the silent 'Jnok' was released on 'DVD' in the PAL format, 4:3 aspect ratio, region-free ("Region 0"), with English, French, German, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Slovak, and Spanish intertitles by Dikrama/Slovensk filmov stav[http://sfd.sfu.sk/main.php?pdvd=0 Slovensk filmov stav, Films on DVD] in 2003 as part of a 2-DVD box set with the like-named movies 'Jnok I' and 'Jnok II,' both from 1963, and bonus material.

Sources sometimes mention its presumed listing by UNESCO as world cultural heritage, but 'Jnok' is not included on the lists of Tangible Heritage,[http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=2187&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html UNESCO, Tangible Heritage] Intangible Heritage, or World Heritage[https://whc.unesco.org/ UNESCO, World Heritage] maintained by UNESCO.

Business



'Jnok's' estimated budget was $14,500 and its total gross in Czechoslovakia during its theatrical run is estimated at close to 19 million Czechoslovak crowns.DVD bonus material

References




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