Cutting It Short

Cutting It Short (also released as Shortcuts) (Czech: Postřižiny - literraly: First haircut) is a 1980 Czechoslovak comedy film directed by Jiří Menzel. It is based on the novel Postřižiny by Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal. The story is set in a brewery in a Czech small town.[1]

Cutting It Short
Directed byJiří Menzel
Written byJiří Menzel
Bohumil Hrabal
CinematographyJaromír Šofr
Edited byJiří Brožek
Release dates
  • 1 February 1981 (1981-02-01) (Czechoslovakia)
  • October 1983 (1983-10) (U.S.)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryCzechoslovakia
LanguageCzech
Budget4,000,000 koruna

The film is an evocation of the childhood memories of Bohumil Hrabal in his provincial town of Nymburk, dominated by the local brewery. The main actors of the film, uncle Pepin and Maryška, are based on real family members of Hrabal: Maryška on his mother and uncle Pepin on his real uncle, who came to stay two weeks in the town but remained for forty years. His spontaneous stories influenced a lot of Hrabal's literary work.[2]

The film was entered into the main competition at the 38th edition of the Venice Film Festival.[3]

According to the film critic and historian Peter Hames, Cutting It Short, which frequently quotes or refers to silent comedy, is one of the best post-Tati comedies.[2]

Theodor Pištěk designed the costumes for the film.

Cast

References
  1. Entry on Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze (in Czech)
  2. Hames, Peter (2011). Menzel and Hrabal (booklet included with the DVD). Second Run DVD.
  3. Adriano Aprà, Giuseppe Ghigi, Patrizia Pistagnesi. Cinquant'anni di cinema a Venezia. La Biennale di Venezia, 1982. ISBN 8820802988.


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