Erotikon
During the last ten years, the Czech National Film Archive (Národní filmový archiv) has restored three major works by filmmaker Gustav Machatý. These films feature fiercely independent women exploring their desire and sensuality in ways that would have been unthinkable to show on the big screen at the time. The subversive nature of these films is still felt today, and this is a wonderful opportunity to (re)discover these cinematic gems in all their glory, characterized by dynamic editing and ingenious shots from one of cinema’s most innovative artists.
New Restoration
Erotikon is considered one of the masterpieces of Czechoslovak silent cinema. Director Gustav Machatý adapted a straightforward screenplay by poet Vítězslav Nezval, which tells the story of a young village girl who falls in love with a stranger who gets her pregnant. The uniqueness of Erotikon lies above all in its modernist form. This transforms the story—which seems straight out of a romance novel—into a work that remains exceptional even today. Ingeniously composed shots, evocative lighting contrasts, a captivating use of visual symbols, and a dynamic editing style attest to the mastery of the director and the cinematographer. Restored in 2026 with a new orchestral score composed for the occasion by Jana Vöröšová.
Gustav Machatý
Gustav Machatý was a Czech film director, screenwriter and actor. He started to work in movies as a teenager and directed his first film in 1919. In 1920 he moved to the US, worked for Universal Pictures and returned to Czechoslovakia in 1922. In 1926, he finally managed to secure funds for his movie The Kreutzer Sonata. The film’s success led him to get offers to direct. He spent two years studying foreign movies and entered the period in which he created the best movies of his career. He made a symbolist drama Erotikon (1929), the social drama From Saturday to Sunday (1931), an adaptation of Karel Poláček's novel, Načeradec, král kibiců (1931), and his best-known film Ecstasy (1933). The latest was screened at the Venice Film Festival and made both Machatý and its lead actress Hedy Lamarr internationally famous. They both received offers to work for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. After making Nocturno in Germany and Ballerine in Italy, he decided to accept the offer and traveled to the US. However, his American career consisted mainly of low-level contract work for the studio and MGM producers didn't show interest in his ideas. He worked for RKO from 1940 to 1943, directing only camera test footage with starting actors. In 1945, he managed to direct Jealousy for a smaller production company, Republic Pictures. After the death of his wife, he returned to Europe and settled in Munich, West Germany. He directed his last movie in 1955.
