Original subtitles

Czechoslovakian Film presents

a film by the Studio of Animation and Puppet Film

Marionettes Film Prague

Then, as today...

...the stars were shining in the sky.

It was the year 1594...

...and the poet William Shakespeare...

...was writing his play...

...of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Like today, the stars were golden...

...like burning lovers' passion,...

...and in the depth of the sky...

...the night was full of magic and spells.

And then, as today,...

...love had to fight,

...if it were to be called true love.

The beautiful Hermia...

...is betrothed to the soldier Demetrius.

But she preferred music,...

...so her heart was with Lysander,...

...the kind flute player.

The fair Helena loves Demetrius.

But he rejects her.

He pays no attention to her.

He woos Hermia.

He courts her with flowers,...

...but to no avail.

Egeus, Hermia's father,...

...would, naturally, prefer her to marry the soldier.

Of course.

He wants the best for his dear daughter.

And what's the frolicksome Lysander...

...compared with the serious Demetrius?

And if his daughter and Lysander won't listen to him ...

...he'll take the case before the law.

To trial,...

...before the powerful ruler Theseus.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

based on the famous work by William Shakespeare, poet and actor

Duke Theseus...

...is a handsome young man and is very famous.

Indeed, tomorrow he celebrates his marriage...

...to the queen of the Amazons.

She is a harsh and uncompromising woman.

Therefore, the sentence is immutable.

Hermia's father's promise to Demetrius...

...is sacred.

Sacred and unbreakable.

And we demand...

...that there are no more issues...

...before the Duke's wedding,...

...whose actions are distinctive, sometimes bold,...

...exciting and interesting,...

...but always...

...within the laws of the immortal gods.

The official love...

...sealed with a ring,...

...will culminate with the nuptual celebrations.

Athens prepares for the celebration.

But they who have disobeyed the law,...

...flee to the woods,...

...where they will suffer great misfortune.

Poor Helena.

She's madly in love.

She even stoops...

...to help Demetrius to look for his rival,...

...so all-consuming is her obsession.

And those overwhelming passions...

...lead the lost to the harsh shadows,...

...outside beautiful Athens,...

...which was busying away preparing for Theseus' wedding...

...with the queen.

At this wedding...

...some amateur actors offer the flower of their art.

A very modest flower,...

...but overwhelming for them, nonetheless.

Let's not be nervous.

We'll go in order.

Take the script, and learn your lines.

The hero has great responsibility.

Before committing suicide...

...he has to leave the audience breathless...

...with his good looks.

He's very talented, no-one can deny it.

A young man taking the part of Thisbe...

...is somewhat unusual.

He takes time to understand, but he does it in depth.

The others give their all, even those without speaking parts .

The show-off Pyramus would like to play all the parts.

Including the lion.

But the other actors also have to learn their roles.

This tells the old legend of the lovers...

...whose love everyone opposed.

In the end, they could only unite in death.

If we could have a little quiet...

...to rehearse in peace!

Don't they realise?

These professional actors make a tremendous racket!

Hunger drives the wolves from the forest...

...and the professionals drove the amateurs...

...into the woods.

The forest, the kingdom of Oberon,...

...where everything is topsy-turvy.

The home of the fairies.

There's the mischevious Puck.

A joker, witty,...

...nosey, restless...

In short, a rascal.

The Fairy Queen, the beautiful Titania.

She reigns over the fairies through love.

And she has the entire forest at her feet.

When Titania dances, they fall under a spell...

...not only the acorns and the mandrakes,...

...the trees, the fairies and the flowers,...

...but even Oberon himself.

And he courts her strongly.

But Titania is not frivolous...

...and Oberon must earn her heart.

But everything has its limits.

You shouldn't offend Oberon.

And he was angry,...

...and his heart swelled with vengefulness.

And as he got angry,...

...the forest shook with fear.

Look.

In the distance there's an island,...

...and on this island there's a flower.

If you just smell it once...

...you'll fall in love with the first creature you see.

And not even the devil could fight that magic.

But fate wasn't going to let Oberon...

...carry out his plan in peace.

Suddenly, the quiet forest became as noisy...

...as a market.

First visit:

The amateurs.

They are scared.

But the love of drama manages to instill courage.

Second visit:

Lysander and Hermia, holding hands.

Love on the run.

They take refuge in a miserable forest cave.

Third visit:

The soldier Demetrius.

He's looking for a fight with Hermia and Lysander.

Sword in hand, with a heavy heart.

And after him, Helena,...

...Demetrius' shadow.

A very heavy shadow,...

...but one full of love.

Pity the poor soul!

Oberon, the lord of the forest,...

...doesn't like unhappy love affairs,...

...for he himself burns with unrequited love.

Listen, Puck!

You have to make that soldier see sense.

Make him smell the flower...

...so that he falls in love with the fair Helena...

...as much as she loves him.

It's easy to say that.

But how do you know, when it's pitch black,...

...who is the soldier who is the musician?

At night, all cats are grey.

And at night, is a flaw really a flaw?

And so, Lysander,...

...bewitched by the flower,...

...opens his eyes and sees Helena.

So long, Hermia!

And he falls madly in love with Helena.

Meanwhile, Oberon waits patiently...

...for Titania to sleep.

Who's here now?

Blast! The amateurs!

Puck, shoo them away!

Whoever's playing Pyramus...

...give them what they deserve.

He's a real ass!

Pyramus!

Pyramus!

Pyramus!

Thisbe!

Thisbe!

Thisbe!

And when the Fairies fell asleep,...

...What if Titania...

...sees that donkey as soon as she wakes up?

Oberon smiled, hidden in the shadows...

...whilst the fairies cried inconsolably.

The terrible awakening of the beautiful Hermia.

Unfortunately the traitor Lysander is kissing Helena.

Now Demetrius will be furious.

What have you done?

You've given the potion to somebody else

What was a comedy has become a farce.

A moment ago, it was Hermia who had...

... two men crazy about her.

Now they've both fallen for Helena...

...and Hermia's the indignant one.

Before the cock crows in the city tomorrow,...

...they'll be mad with jealousy.

Taken to the brink...

...by madness, loss, and doubt.

So, tomorrow, it can be better assessed,...

...this great reciprocated love,...

...satisfied and happy.

Endlessly turning.

But this is starting to smell of tragedy.

Let's turn tragedy into a game.

It's not worth getting hurt because of a joke.

Puck, fix what you've broken!

There can still be...

...some fights.

But only in jest.

To see how ridiculous violence is.

Poor Titania!

She's suffered enough!

And branded by her big-eared shame...

...I shall love her even more.

What a strange thing to see!

For so long...

...love is pursued, till love, at the end...

...recognises itself.

Lysander with Hermia,...

...Helena with Demetrius,...

...sleeping like children.

And so they are together, under the laws of love.

What about your law, old one?

And the law of Athens?

Hear ye, hear ye! Sound the trumpets!

Three times, once for each wedding!

Sound the trumpets.

A dull moment.

It usually happens.

These official ceremonies bore even the stones.

We offer you a play.

It's magnificent, and I wrote it myself.

Behold the moon, oh great Selene.

Wall, obstacle to their love.

Then, the lion who wanted to kill but could not.

And finally Thisbe, allegedly the meal,...

and Pyramus.

Thisbe!

Thisbe!

Damn Wall,...

...barrier to our love!

How about if we go outside to the meadow?

But beware the ferocious lions!

The bright moon saw everything,...

and was so smug.

This veil will fill with blood.

but it won't be Thisbe's.

Puck returns to the work,...

...but, as you'll see,...

...everyone's important, at least once.

More than some might have predicted.

Maybe it was a mistake, or maybe malice,...

...but his heart will ring like a bell...

...and those who mock...

...will stop laughing.

Pyramus!

Pyramus!

Pyramus!

Pyramus!

Dreams seduce us and deceive all.

But no matter.

What matters is that they are beautiful.

Listen, Puck.

No more comedy.

It has been a beautiful fire.

But now we have to make sure it's out.

All has ended.

We have to clean up.

Today as then,...

...then as today.

By God, anybody would think...

...that what happened was all a dream!

No-one would have thought that he could crown himself...

...With the coveted laurel of glory.

People think that Puck is...

...only fit for magic tricks.

We make magic,...

...beautiful magic, when dreaming.

In dreams, we provide for the fairies.

Some of our dreams guide us in life.

Some of our dreams never die.

Still less, the dreams of Shakespeare.

Direction, script and set design: Jir� Trnka

Music: V�clav Trojan