People arrive in a small village with a strange cat wearing glasses. When someone takes them off, he can color people, according to their nature and mood. Adults consider him dangerous; chil... Read allPeople arrive in a small village with a strange cat wearing glasses. When someone takes them off, he can color people, according to their nature and mood. Adults consider him dangerous; children love him.People arrive in a small village with a strange cat wearing glasses. When someone takes them off, he can color people, according to their nature and mood. Adults consider him dangerous; children love him.
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- Stars
- Awards
- 2 wins & 1 nomination total
- Diana
- (as Emilie Vasáryová)
- Olda - skolnikuv syv
- (as Tonda Krcmar)
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Az Prijde Kocour/Cassandra Cat(1963) is for everyone of different age groups. The children see the cat as the bearer of truth and the giver of unlimited imagination. The adults in the village see the cat as a threat because they are fearful of that truth that sees beneath the lies. The only adult who is not threatened by the cat is the romantic teacher. The cinematography is excellent and the music is good.
Cassandra Cat(1963) is not very different from the films of Terry Gilliam especially Time Bandits(1981), and Brazil(1985). The romantic angle of Az Prijde Kocour(1963) reminds me in many ways of similar scenes in Brazil(1985). Cassandra Cat(1963) is an ageless film by one of the masters of the Czech New Wave, Vojtech Jasny. The ending of the motion picture is sad. Emilia Vasaryova is arousing and sweet natured in the role of Cassandra.
It's one of those wobbly fantasies of the 1960s like THE SEVEN FACES OF DOCTOR LAO who attempt to exalt the honesty of children -- not that I saw much of that as a child. There are lots of special effects which nowadays look like director Vojtech Jasný and his staff got their hand on an optical printer for the first time. At the time, I'm sure this movie was pretty much state-of-the-art for Eastern Europe. It hasn't aged particularly well, but there's little doubt it will still appeal to children in its insistence that they and truth matter.
During this time, a lot of changes were happening in Czechoslovakia, especially from a social standpoint as the tenets of Soviet communism clashed with a desire for national democratic socialism. These sort of things happen when your country falls into an economic stagnation, which is visualized in the film as no one seems to really live a comfortable life. Ultimately, this film didn't see much of an audience for years as the country decided to keep its more rigid outlook on economics and free thought. Hence, this is why the film is so divisive.
The Cassandra Cat, as was once described in an old magazine many years ago, sees through the "bulls**t" that many people are projecting. If you take the glasses off the cat, your true colors come out so to speak. Red if you are in love, yellow if you are unfaithful, purple if you are a hypocrite and gray if you are dishonest. So yes, it would be quite scary to see this cat come into your town even under the guise of a whimsical performance troupe.
Ultimately, this movie speaks about the frailty of the human condition and how malleable it can be. As the final scene showcases, a person can change colors quite easily, especially when it comes to the less desirable colors of the Cassandra Cat's gaze. Only those with the purest of hearts can be the red color. Either way, its a great film to watch, witnessing how other countries were going through similar political and social turmoil like the United States.
And for all intents and purposes, the cat was adorable.
This beautiful and fantastic fable about human behavior is timeless and very original. The story has a great moral lesson in the end without being corny, and is highly recommended for all audiences. In Brazil, it is only available in a rare VHS. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): 'Um Dia, Um Gato' ('One Day, A Cat')
Note: On 12 June 2010, I saw this magnificent film again on DVD.
Did you know
- TriviaJaroslava Zelenková's debut.
- Quotes
School director: [subtitled version] Listen Robert, denoting your superior as a murderer in public doesn't seem like constructive criticism.
- ConnectionsEdited into Voskovec & Werich - paralelní osudy (2012)
- How long is When the Cat Comes?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix