The Promised Princess
Screenplay: Iva Procházková
Director: Ivan Pokorný
How did the golden-haired princess become promised to a pirate?
At the beginning of this tale — inspired by the beloved Czech fairy tale Zlatovláska (Goldilocks)— lies the enchanted skin of a magical serpent. Whoever tastes it gains the ability to understand the language of animals. Even the wicked Duke Honorád partakes, but the gift of understanding does nothing to soften his cruel heart.
When the duke sets his sights on marrying a golden-haired bride, he commands his young servant Jiřík to journey far from their homeland of Božemia and bring back the radiant Princess Radost.
After a series of wild adventures, Jiřík and his loyal band of Božemians reach the distant kingdom where the youngest of twelve daughters — the only one still unwed — is none other than the golden-haired princess herself. But winning her hand won't be easy. Jiřík must not only complete three daunting tasks but also outwit and defeat his rival: the cunning pirate Za Bié Ocradé.
Fortunately, Jiřík has help — from the animals, his loyal companions, and the princess herself, whose heart he has already won.
Voices from the Web:
Completely misunderstood and unappreciated, yet masterfully staged far beyond our standards, a witty and charming fairy tale parody. Brilliantly thought-out, captivating, and finely tuned work that works equally well both on the narrative and formal levels; the storytelling style harmonizes with both the editing and the production design, and both are lovingly and precisely crafted down to the smallest detail. It is magically healing, how a seemingly punkish story soothes with its thoroughness and logic, and how it so originally honors and upholds true and eternal values…
An anarchistic fairy tale, actually a pure parody of the story of Goldilocks…
Czech fairy tales have a hard time nowadays. Trying to film them the old way leads to highly mixed results, and if someone dares to try something different, they’ll be stoned by the audience.
