Daisies

I love when directors experiment with new techniques and storytelling tools. There’s something invigorating about it to me, particularly when it comes to directors I’m familiar with. It really sparks my interest, keeps me guessing, and peaks my curiosity. Today I wanted to delve into a movie from a legendary film movement that was as experimental as it was influential. A movie so unique that it defies genre distinction and so daring, that it still intrigues audiences, more than fifty years later.

So if you’re like me and you enjoy film and the impact and emotions they convery, then grab a glass of your preferred liquid and join me for the next little while. For me that’s a cold glass of chocolate milk. So sit back, relax and let’s talk about the love of film. Welcome to Glazed Cinema.

I’m very excited to talk about our subject today. When I started this podcast I knew I wanted to highlight impactful films that I love that you also might enjoy. I’ve talked about a lot of great directors, but today marks the first female director highlighted on the show. Now technically, I also highlighted another female director in my third episode, but that episode wasn’t about her movie. Today, though that changes.

When I was imagining which female director to highlight first I had a few names on my list, but one name stood out. She’s an inspiring figure of film and visionary of cinema. Like choosing the director was easy, so too was the subject. Innocent and general in name, it packs quite the experience within its content.

Daisies is a fun, unique, and uber creative film from one of the pioneers of European women filmmakers. The film is about two women, both of whom are named Marie, who upon realizing that the world around them is spoiled, they should be spoiled too. Through this awakening the two young women play pranks on unsuspecting men, consume copious amounts of food, and challenge the conformities of society, while mischievously giggling and having fun. It’s a film that is open to interpretation, vague in meaning, and visually arresting.

With its vibrant colors, unorthodox editing, and purposeful ambiguity, our subject today is a memorable piece. It was also directed by a most indelible and inspiring person, who was also the first female filmmaker in Czechoslovakia, Vera Chytilova. It’s a film that is as experimental, creative, and unique as it is daring, brazen, and groundbreaking. Vera would meet tremendous odds throughout her journey to create this surrealist masterpiece, but she pressed on and endured despite them.

A product of the infamous Czechoslovak New Wave, Daisies stands out among the rest of its contemporaries. Otherwise known as the Czech New Wave, it was a film movement of the 1960s that saw several young filmmakers come to the forefront with new perspectives and things to say. Coming out of the now separated country of Czechoslovakia, its a movement that has had tremendous influence on international cinema. Beginning in the early sixties, it is known for its daring, radicalness, surrealism, dark sense of humor, and creativity. Daisies used all of these to make its mark on an audience at home as well as abroad.

Before we get into the film I think it’s important to understand why the films of this movement were so politically charged and motived. The reason why is because its films are quite different than the similarly named and earlier movement of the French New Wave due to a lot of causes. The most glaring and easily identifiable cause and biggest difference between the two however, is certainly the political climate.

Today the Czech Republic and Slovakia are two separate countries, but before 1989 when the two amicably split, they were united as one. Aptly named Czechoslovakia, the two nations were bonded after World War One in 1918. For nearly twenty years the country was a democratic parliament with freedoms that citizens enjoyed, much like today’s United Kingdom. That all changed during World War Two however, when it was captured and liberated, which saw the end to this democracy.

With the Soviets liberating the country a coup developed and formed a people’s republic. Supervised by the Soviets, industry and agriculture were collectivized despite internal opposition. In the ‘60s the economy started to fail, leading to the country giving way to certain reforms and a bit more relaxed view on censorship. This is the state of the country in which the Czech New Wave begins. A country teased with freedom not once, but twice and a people whose rights were muzzled not once, but twice.

The muzzle wasn’t just on freedom of speech, but freedom of expression as well. Art was controlled through means of censorship, sponsored by the state to ensure that the narratives of films met the state’s doctrine. So you can understand why all these upheavals to government and civil freedoms would inspire strife and resentment. These feelings would come out in several manners of expression as graduated of the Prague film school began unleashing their projects for viewing.

Inspired by earlier European film movements like the French New Wave and Italian Neo-Realism, the young directors released a fresh new take on filmmaking, injecting a fearless sense of artistry. The group of Czech and Slovak filmmakers were radical and daring, talking about complex themes in explorative ways, while bringing a cinematic identity to Czechoslovakia that was acclaimed and embraced internationally.

Products like The Shop on Main Street, Marketa Lazarova, The Cremator, and Valerie and Her Week of Wonders all came from the Czech New Wave. So many fantastic and impactful works arose, but Daisies is easily the most unique of all.

Before we delve into Daisies more, let’s talk about Vera for a little bit, because this woman was awesome and I have so much respect for her. Prior to delving into creating moving pictures, Vera studied philosophy, worked as a fashion model, edited photos, and also worked the clapperboard on film productions, and was an assistant director on a few projects. Eventually she was accepted into FAMU or Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.

At university she met other young filmmakers like Jiri Menzel and Jan Nemec. Graduating from university in 1962 Vera alongside Nemec, Menzel, and other filmmakers like Juraj Herz began making movies. Together they made politically charged films using black comedy, satire, surrealism, and dissent to create impactful works of art.

Vera was the only female filmmaker within the new group of visual artists and she touched on themes that others didn’t. Themes of individualism, strictures of the female role, and sexual liberation. Through her art and influence she has been coined the First Lady of Czech Cinema.

Daisies was Vera’s second feature film and one, like all films of the period of the country was funded by the state. Originally based on a short story titled ‘Chubobky’ or Daisies, written by Pavel Juracek for the director herself. A story about two young women playing pranks on men a bit of it remained in the final film, but ultimately the course would change, while the title remained the same. Instead Ms. Chytilova it was decided that the script would play on the adolescent game of Vadí nevadí or Truth or Dare. Swapping the original realistic vision for a surrealistic one.

Daisies met the censorship opposition from the jump, with state censorship boards demanding cuts to the script. This included cutting vulgarities, adding more character background, and removing any hint of a lesbian relationship. Giving into some of their demands with the script, the state green lit the film. However, during production the script essentially went out the window as the ebbs and flows of creativity led to more and more improvising. This spontaneity coupled with the director’s apathetic view toward the state and censorship the project became something the state didn’t bargain for.

The film itself is a wonderful piece of expression, disregarding almost every norm of filmmaking and inserting something different. I’m attempting to not use the word feminism, only because the director herself repeatedly rejected the title, however it certainly is a work empowering women. Using visually interesting and sometimes jaunting effects, we as an audience are always kept on our toes, reacting to the action.

Thanks to the work of her cinematographer and husband Jaroslav Kucera the film utilized things like distorting lenses, slow motion shots, collages, and color filters to achieve the desired effects. Shifting from color to black and white, then back to color. These effects coupled with the colorful costumes, and vivid colors supplied by her costume designer, Ester Krymbachova result in some memorable sequences for the eye’s delight.

The two Maries are similar in personality, outlook, and demeanor. Marie One is played by Jitka Cerhova and is a brown haired young lady, while Marie Two is played by Ivana Karbanova and is a blonde, almost red headed young lady. Deliberately making things vague, we as an audience have no context for who the Maries are or what their backgrounds are. We are essentially plunged into their timeline to experience the current events of their lives.

The Maries are so important to this film, in every sense of the word. When I say that, they appear in every single shot in which a human being exists, and sometimes the frame is cut around one or both of them entirely. This in effect was a daring move for the time and place when unfortunately women were unjustly regarded as secondary. Instead the director made a film flipping the script on the norms. This is another instance of Vera’s unflinching resolve to create her vision. A trait that I really appreciate and respect, especially given the vision and the climate.

In their daily activities it seems the main thing they seek throughout the movie is food. Whether that’s playing to men on dates to get a meal, sharing in a feast, or eating on their own, food is a constant subject in some manner. In fact one critic used this as a reason to censor the film, stating it wasted too much food.

The two Marie’s are definitely a play on the presumed role of women in the society of the time and place, flipping the norms on their heads. Vera wanted to make men awaken from their inaction and used this as a tool to Playing on patriarchal society, she reverses societal roles, placing the power within the Maries’ hands. Usually its the men who treat women with little regard be it standing them up or partaking in one night stands, but with Daisies it’s the women treating the men with little regard. By swooning them for a meal and embarrassing them with their bad table manners while at dinner before leaving, we can see the juxtaposition unfurl before our eyes. The Czech Film Center put this really well in an article about the film, stating:

“The combination of high and low, or ugly and beautiful, reflected the position of women who were prevented by society from creating meaning, and therefore resorted to ruinous anarchy and games. With their irrational, unmotivated actions, Marie I and Marie II reveal the hidden charm of destruction.”

You may not think that this level of representation is groundbreaking in today’s world, but it was, especially in a satellite nation of the Soviet Union. Even internationally though, it was very different.

The Maries make this film in every way with their spontaneous mischief, adolescent giggling, and the bond they clearly share. That’s something to me really stands out here and something I very much enjoyed about Daisies, is the friendship and commonality between them. They just seem to get one another. Every step of the way they are acting in unison, comfortable with each other as they are, and finding joy in their daily existence. I think that’s what I find the most enjoyable about watching this film is the amount of play displayed in their antics, it’s apparent that they’re close.

When the film was finished it got some fairly scathing remarks. A member of the National Assembly rejected it stating that it depicted wasting food during a time when farmers couldn’t meet production demands, with another stating that it depicted the wanton. It was then pulled from pulled from distribution for besmirching socialism and the ideals of communism. It was eventually banned after the Soviets invaded and took control of the county in 1970.

With each new thing I learn about Vera the more I respect her. To put it bluntly, Vera was a badass woman and the Maries are certainly a reflection of her. Vera was proud that her works met authoritative resistance and she enjoyed pushing the envelope. The final statement of the film is a message to her censors and the republic itself, stating, “This film is dedicated to all those whose sole source of indignation is a trampled on trifle.”

The first time I watched Daisies I really enjoyed the experience following the Maries around. I enjoyed their antics and overall relationship, simultaneously being drawn to the intriguing visuals and cuts. It’s a film that stands out among the crowd and can’t be pigeonholed. I watched it again a few months ago and spotted things I didn’t catch the first time, which enhanced my experience. Daisies is great film and it is so many different things. It's wonderful to watch, a daring work of art, it's inventive in almost every sense of the word and it is a reflection of the individual person of Vera Chytilova. from a visionary woman of cinema, well worth the viewing time.

I won’t spoil the ending for you, but it finishes with a single line. A line that is a direct attack on communism and the ideals Vera abhorred and fought against. Vera's audacious expressions against the state eventually caught up with her. The movie she made after Dasises titled Fruit of Paradise saw Vera banned from making films for eight years. This undoubtedly was hurtful for Vera and it essentially silenced her voice for nearly a decade. After the ban was lifted she began making films again, returning to expressing herself, never giving up her voice.

The Czech New Wave ended shortly after Soviet Union gained control of Czechoslovakia in 1970, but for a brief moment in time between 1962 and 1968 the power of expression and creativity thrived in the country, Created films that still influence people to this day, Daisies stands out as a daring example of this.

If you’d like to watch Daisies for yourself you can find it on a variety of streaming services. At the time of this recording you can find it on the Criterion Channel if you subscribe to their service. The Criterion Channel is a service with tremendous value from our friends at the Criterion Collection. Pricing options include $9.99 per month and $99 per year which is what I chose to do.

You can also find Daisies on HBO Max if you subscribe to their service. HBO Max has a diverse catalog of offerings to satisfy any mood or interest. Pricing options include $9.99 per month with ads or $14.99 per month ad free. You can also find Daisies on Apple TV as well.

If you like this podcast tell your friends and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Each week there will be new content including hints about episodes before they air. If you’d like to learn more about the podcast visit our website at glazedcinema.com. There you’ll find more info about the show and a place to submit ideas for future episodes. For film fans who are hearing impaired out blog page features each episode in written form as well. As always, thanks for listening and I hope to see you next time with another beverage and another fine film on Glazed Cinema.