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| Četri balti krekli / Four White Shirts (1967) with Līga Liepiņa (Bella) and Uldis Pūcītis (Cēzars). |
Quatre chemises blanches / Четыре белые рубашки / Дышите глубже...
Director: Rolands Kalniņš
Country: Latvian SSR
Year: 1967
Duration: 1.16
Languages: Latvian / subtitles in English
Category: Baltic 101, Master Class, Master Class: Sonora Broka.
Colour. Scope 2,35:1.
2017 / 2012 restoration from Nacionālais Kino centrs.
https://www.filmas.lv/movie/1328/
https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elpojiet_dzi%C4%BCi
Introduced by Sonora Broka, hosted by Timo Malmi.
2K DCP viewed at Kitisen Kino, Sodankylä, Midnight Sun Film Festival, 16 June 2019
Sonora Broka (MSFF): "Cesar, a telephone mounter, writes songs and texts in his spare time, playing together with his friends in an ensemble. However, in order for the ensemble to reach the public, it is necessary to go a long way in obtaining permits. Anita Sondore, a member of the Culture Committee, listens to Cesar’s songs and criticizes them, but afterwards she can no longer stop the various public discussions, which she has instigated."
"Rolands Kalniņš’s films contain more formal, stylistic, conceptual references of French and Czech new waves, than any other Latvian filmmaker of his generation. This, of course, is also the contribution of cinematogapher Miks Zvirbulis, whose camera sensitively captures the streets and contemporaries of Riga in the 1960s, but the playful sequence of film’s opening titles has become one of the most iconic fragments of Latvian films."
"Four White Shirts was censored right after the completition, put on shelf, and premiered in Riga only 19 years later, in 1986. However, songs, written for the film, gained a wide popularity, serving as the only reminder of its existence for two decades."
"In May 2018 the film was included in Cannes Classics programme. 96 years old director, Rolands Kalniņš together with his cinematographer Miks Zvirbulis were present at the screening." (Sonora Broka / MSFF)
AA: Sonora Broka presented in Sodankylä a masterclass series of four Baltic films: Četri balti krekli / Four White Shirts (Rolands Kalniņš, Latvia 1967), Velnio nuotaka / Devil's Bride (Arūnas Žebriūnas, Lithuania 1976), Zirneklis / The Spider (Vasilijs Mass, Latvia 1992), and November (Rainer Sarnet, Estonia 2017). The first two films are musicals from the Soviet period.
Unfortunately I missed three films in Sonora Broka's series because I don't focus well in late screenings but am grateful to have caught Four White Shirts, a Latvian film from the late Soviet Thaw era, one of the brilliant achievements of that period of relative freedom which were instantly shelved and only released 20 years later during Glasnost, through the Conflict Committee. On the copy itself the present version is announced to be a 2012 restoration, but all the official information gives the year 2017. The true international breakthrough of Four White Shirts took place at the Cannes Classics presentation in 2018.
Four White Shirts belongs to the rare species of the serious musical, the master of that species being of course Jacques Demy. The director Rolands Kalniņš worked from a distinguished play by Gunārs Priede, and the catchy songs were composed by Imants Kalniņš (no relation) with such a success that although the film was banned, the songs became immensely popular. (The soundtrack listing is beyond the jump break).
Four White Shirts is quite open about its theme, which is, remarkably enough - censorship. The band called The Optimists are defiantly pushing the envelope with their programme. The representative of the Cultural Committee Anita Sondore (Dina Kuple) tries in vain to convince the songwriter Cēzars Kalniņš (Uldis Pūcītis) to water down his lyrics.
The account of censorship is offbeat and unpredictable. It has been said that the plot of Four White Shirts was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Obviously Anita Sondore is suffering from the situation which can hardly be seen as anything less than ridiculous. Besides, she seems to find Cēzars attractive as a man, but Cēzars has a relationship with Bella (Līga Liepiņa).
I like the intelligent, soulful looks of the characters. The eyes convey a loss and a sorrow beyond words. I also like the urban montages and the montages of visual art. The costumes are stylish. Much of the meaning is in the subtext, but surprisingly much is out in the open.
The copy is fine and watchable, but perhaps this edition is based on a source that has not been processed in the best possible resolution.
FOUR WHITE SHIRTS
Ohjaaja: Rolands Kalniņš
Maa: Latvian SNT
Vuosi: 1967
Kesto: 1.16
Kielet: latvia / tekstitys englanniksi
Kategoria: Baltia 101, Mestariluokat, Mestariluokka: Sonora Broka
Puhelinasentaja Cesar kirjoittaa vapaa-ajallaan lauluja ja tekstejä ja soittaa ystäviensä kanssa bändissä. Tavoittaakseen suuren yleisön täytyy bändin kuitenkin nähdä vaivaa saadakseen tarvittavat luvat esiintymiseen. Kulttuurikomitean jäsen Anita Sondore kuuntelee Cesarin lauluja ja kritisoi niitä, mutta joutuu myöhemmin toteamaan, että hänen aloittamansa julkinen keskustelu on karannut käsistä.
Rolands Kalniņšin elokuvista voi löytää enemmän muoto-, tyyli- ja käsiteviittauksia Ranskan ja Tšekin uusiin aaltoihin kuin kenenkään muun hänen sukupolvensa latvialaisohjaajan. Tämä johtuu tietysti osittain hänen kuvaajansa Miks Zvirbulisin panoksesta, jonka kamera tallentaa herkästi 1960-luvun Riian katunäkymiä ja aikalaisia. Elokuvan alkutekstien leikillinen jakso on noussut latvialaisen elokuvan ikonisten hetkien joukkoon.
Four White Shirts sensuroitiin heti valmistumisen jälkeen, hyllytettiin ja esitettiin ensi kerran Riiassa vasta 19 vuotta myöhemmin, vuonna 1986. Elokuvaa varten kirjoitetut laulut saivat siitä huolimatta heti laajan suosion ja olivat kahden vuosikymmenen ajan ainoat muistutukset elokuvan olemassaolosta. Toukokuussa 2018 elokuva otettiin mukaan Cannesin klassikkosarjaan. 96-vuotias ohjaaja Rolands Kalniņš ja hänen kuvaajansa Miks Zvirbulis olivat läsnä näytöksessä. (SB)
CANNES CLASSICS
15.05.2018 . 08:15 AM | Update : 20.12.18 . 1:19 PM
Written by Eugénie Malinjod
FOUR WHITE SHIRTS: interview with Rolands Kalniņš
With his 1967 film Cetri balti krekli (Four White Shirts), Rolands Kalniņš presented a subtle critique of the Soviet totalitarian regime via musical comedy. It was banned from screens for twenty years, shown in public for the first time in 1986 and restored in 2017 to mark the filmmaker's 95th birthday. Cannes Classics is offering a chance to rediscover the masterpiece of Latvian Cinema with Rolands Kalniņš in attendance.
What was the context in which you wrote the script?
The film is based on the play by Gunārs Priede. The Director of Photography Miks Zvirbulis and I saw the stage premiere. We immediately understood that we wanted to turn this play into a film, so we asked the playwright to produce a film script. The idea of how strong the abstract notion ‘there is an opinion’ can be under an ideological dictatorship seemed very important and topical to me at that moment. There was no single official in charge who could assume responsibility and prohibit something, there was just an abstract, anonymous wall which creative people could not break through.
However, in a wider context, we were making a film about ‘what was in the air’ at the beginning of 1960s, when a freer spirit ruled in the USSR and consequently in Latvia too; when life had become more colourful and courageous in comparison to the torpidity of totalitarianism and personality which had ruled during the previous decades. During the making of the film, we were inspired by other arts which were also flourishing thanks to the creative freedom in Latvia. For example, collections by young poets, which brought a breath of fresh air. Māris Čaklais, the lyricist for our films, was among the young talents of the time who have now become outstanding figures of Latvian culture.
Did you encounter any constraints while making the film?
We did not encounter any obstacles during the shooting. During the making of Four white shirts we were just told at every official assessment of the production that the protagonist, Cezars, was too much of a hooligan, too unrestrained, that his character should be more submissive and more ‘polite’. We did not listen because we regarded it as impossible to change our protagonist and thus change the conflict and the idea of the film. Eventually someone from the assessors said: "the authors of the film are as obstinate as that Cezars of theirs!"
Why was the film censored? Did you think, while you were filming it, that your film would be banned in Latvia?
We tempted fate when we shot the most risky episode in the film. We asked the playwright to write the scene especially where various ignorant, powerful people discuss Cezars' songs and their lyrics and conclude that a Soviet citizen must not write or listen to such songs. That discussion was only reported in the play, but cinema is a visual art; we have to see things, rather than hear about them.
The empty words exchanged in the discussion were a harsh satire of the ideological Soviet dictatorship and of the many absurd obstacles put in the way of young, creative spirits at the time. Which meant the scene irritated every official who watched it and was suddenly faced with their own reflection.
The film was only expected to have one screening, not a premiere, but a public discussion screening attended by several higher [communist] party executives. We never found out their opinion, but the planned showing of the film in Leningrad at that time was cancelled, together with other screenings and the film simply disappeared from the world. No shows, no reviews. It was not included in my filmography: nowhere. And there was not the slightest hope that someday, may years later, someone would see this forbidden film – for we had no grounds to think that anything could change in the world order.
Your film Stone and Flinders was also banned and the film reels of Maritime Climate have been destroyed. What other kinds of pressure have you been subject to?
During my lifetime I have not been repressed in any other areas. As to the other films, everything was usually decided at the script stage; if the theme was risky and someone thought that I would develop it in too liberal a way, I was simply not allowed to start shooting. There are almost ten scripts that I very much wanted to develop and turn into films, but I was not allowed to go on working with them. However, there are several films that I was able to direct the way I wanted to.
What are your views on the film industry in your country today?
I follow all the new developments in Latvian cinema very carefully. I still watch the latest films regularly in the cinema and I am happy the Latvian film industry is flourishing. It started three or four years ago and now that films dedicated to Latvia’s centennial are being previewed, I can see that we have a very great creative potential.
A presentation of the National Film Centre of Latvia. 4K Scan and 3K digital restoration from the original 35 mm internegative duplicate and an intermediate positive copy in order to create a 2K master. Restoration funded by the National Film Centre of Latvia and carried out by Locomotive Productions (Latvia) in the presence of the director, Rolands Kalnins.
Written by Eugénie Malinjod
Cannes Classics: Synopsis
Riga, 1960s. Telephone assembler, self-made poet and composer Cēzars Kalniņš (Uldis Pūcītis) together with his friends plays in a band but the texts written by him seem to be immoral to the middle-aged cultural worker Anita Sondore (Dina Kuple) who puts obstacles for public performance of these songs. The public committee that discusses creative work of the young song writer turns into a metaphor of an anonymous and almighty opinion whose destructive impact cannot be stopped.
Cannes Classics: Credits
Rolands KALNINS - Director
Gunars PRIEDE - Script / Dialogue
Miks ZVIRBULIS - Director of Photography
Uldis PAUZERS - Set decorator
Imants KALNIŅŠ - Music
Cannes Classics: Cast
Uldis PŪCĪTIS - Cēzars
Līga LIEPIŅA - Bella
Dina KUPLE - Anita Sondore
Nacionālais Kino centrs
Četri balti krekli (Elpojiet dziļi...) (1967)
Restaurēta 2017
Gads 1967
Studija: Rīgas kinostudija
Kategorija: spēlfilma
Ilgums (min): 73
Platekrāns: 35 mm, platekrāns
Krāsa: krāsaina
Skaņa: mono
Lit. pirmavots: luga "Trīspadsmitā"
Filma restaurēta: 2017
Režisors: Rolands Kalniņš
Lit. pirmavota autors: Gunārs Priede
Scenārija autors: Gunārs Priede
Operators: Miks Zvirbulis
Mākslinieks: Uldis Pauzers
Mūzikas autors: Imants Kalniņš
Dziesmu teksta autors: Māris Čaklais
Skaņu režisors: Igors Jakovļevs
Kostīmu mākslinieks: Ieva Kundziņa
Grima mākslinieks: Elita Rudzīte (Mūrniece)
Montāžas režisors: Zigrīda Geistarte
Otrais režisors: Varis Brasla
Režisora asistents:
Režisora palīgs: Renāte Martini, Maruta Osīte
Otrais operators: Uģis Egle
Operatora asistents: Māris Mednis, Modris Resnais
Skaņu ieraksta tehniķis: Jānis Ozoliņš
Apgaismotāju brigadieris: Gunārs Pečaks
Mākslinieks dekorators: Fricis Ābols
Rekvizitors: Ināra Esenberga
Kostīmu meistars: Zelma Sproģe
Grima meistars: Edīte Noriete
Fotogrāfs: Juris Dzenis
Uzņemšanas aparatūras meistars: Sigurds Mazurs
Gaismu/krāsu uzstādītājs: Irina Horuževa
Dež. dekorāciju strādnieks: Visvaldis Ritums
Asistents: Vo ldemārs Dūdiņš, V. Fļorova, M. Pogaine, Andis Ploks
Redaktors: Jeļena Vahruševa
Vec. administrators: Mirdza Jonāne, Visvaldis Saulītis
Vec. grāmatvedis: Aina Zariņa
Filmas direktora vietnieks: Gunārs Sops
Filmas direktors: Valdis Aizpurietis, Georgs Blūmentāls
Lomās: Uldis Pūcītis, Dina Kuple, Līga Liepiņa, Arnolds Liniņš, Pauls Butkēvičs
Lomās/Epizodēs: Rostislavs Gorjajevs, Ernests Karelis, Antonija Kleimane, Oļģerts Kroders, Irēna Lagzdiņa, Armīns Lejiņš, Edgars Liepiņš, Eduards Plataiskalns, Jāzeps Pīgoznis, Āris Rozentāls, Renāte Stūrmane, Severīns Vilsons, Natālija Vītoliņa, Anda Zaice, Pēteris Šiliņš
Izpildītājmākslinieks: Pauls Butkēvičs, Līga Liepiņa, Juris Strenga, Dzintars Beķeris, Valdis Eglītis, Gunārs Rozenbergs, Uldis Stabulnieks, Andris Vilsons, Jūnijs Vilsons
Filmas skatīšanās vecuma ierobežojums: U
Diemžēl filma Jums nav pieejama skatīšanai portālā!
Filmas apraksts
Telefonu montieris Cēzars Kalniņš no darba brīvajā laikā sacer dziesmas, muzicēdams kopā ar draugiem izveidotajā ansamblī. Tomēr, lai ansamblis nonāktu līdz publikai, jāiziet garš atļauju saņemšanas ceļš. Kultūras komisijas locekle Anita Sondore pavirši noklausās Cēzara dziesmas un nokritizē tās, bet vēlāk vairs gribēdama nevar apstādināt dažādu sabiedrisko apspriešanu dzirnakmeni, kuru pati iekustinājusi.
Sešdesmito gadu brīvības alku kinematogrāfiska kvintesence, jauneklīgs maksimālisms un sirdsapziņas balss, kas Rolanda Kalniņa filmas dumpīgajiem varoņiem ļauj nostāties blakus pasaules kino jauno viļņu parādībām. Autori gandrīz pravietiski pareģojuši paši savas filmas likteni (publiskas aizrādīšanas aizliegumu un tikai 20 gadus vēlāk pienākušu atzinību), kadrā ironizējot par slēptās cenzūras darbību padomju sistēmā. Pirmā filma latviešu kino vēsturē, kas par patstāvīgu un līdzvērtīgu spēlētāju uzskata filmas mūziku un montēta, ieklausoties Imanta Kalniņa mūzikas dramaturģijā.
Vikipēdija
"Elpojiet dziļi..." ir 1967. gada latviešu padomju mākslas filma. Filmas režisors ir Rolands Kalniņš. Filma uzņemta Rīgas kinostudijā pēc Gunāra Priedes lugas "Trīspadsmitā" motīviem. Pazīstama arī ar kontrolējošo iestāžu neatzīto oriģinālo nosaukumu "Četri balti krekli".
Uzreiz pēc uzņemšanas notikusī filmas "nolikšana plauktā" netraucēja vairākos Latvijas teātros iestudēt Gunāra Priedes lugu.[1] Filmas pirmizrāde kinoteātrī notika tikai 1986. gadā. Filma ir iekļauta Latvijas kultūras kanonā [2] un ir viena no vispopulārākajām latviešu kinofilmām.
2018. gada aprīlī filmas restaurētā versija tika iekļauta 2018. gada Kannu kinofestivāla prestižajā Kannu klasikas (Cannes Classics) programmā,[3] kas uzskatāms pat par sensacionālu vēsturisku notikumu[4] Latvijas kinomākslas attīstībā.
Sižets
Telefonu montieris Cēzars Kalniņš no darba brīvajā laikā sacer dziesmas, muzicēdams kopā ar draugiem izveidotajā ansamblī. Tomēr, lai ansamblis nonāktu līdz publikai, jāiziet garš atļauju saņemšanas ceļš. Kultūras komisijas locekle Anita Sondore pavirši noklausās Cēzara dziesmas un nokritizē tās, bet vēlāk vairs gribēdama nevar apstādināt dažādu sabiedrisko apspriešanu dzirnakmeni, kuru pati iekustinājusi.
Mūzika
Pēc uzvaras konkursā par mūzikas komponēšanu filmai Imants Kalniņš sarakstīja septiņas dziesmas ar Māra Čaklā vārdiem. Par spīti tam, ka filma tika "nolikta plauktā", šīs dziesmas kļuva populāras, tās izpildīja arī Liepājas grupas "Santa" un "2xBBM". 1971. gadā dziesmas no kinofilmas sāka izpildīt grupa "Menuets", tās kļuva par nozīmīgu grupas repertuāra sastāvdaļu. "Menueta" albumā "Dzeguzes balss" (1979) bija iekļautas šī cikla dziesmas "Dzeguzes balss" un "Viņi dejoja vienu vasaru".
Divdaļīgajā izlasē "Dziesmu izlase "60."" iekļautas trīs filmas dziesmu oriģinālversijas: "Viņi dejoja vienu vasaru" (Nr. 1, 2005), "Dziesma par krekliem" un "Es esmu bagāts" (Nr. 2, 2006).
Viss filmas skaņu celiņš izdots 2014. gadā izdevniecībā "Upe tt" ar nosaukumu "Oriģinālmūzika no kinofilmas "Četri balti krekli"", tas ir otrais disks Māra Čaklā dzejas CD izdevumā "Stikla saksofonists".[5] Izdevumam izmantoti LNA Kinofotofonodokumentu arhīva ieraksti:
1. Ievads. Viņi dejoja vienu vasaru
2. Dziesma par krekliem. 1. variants
3. Dziesma par Napoleonu
4. Šeiks
5. Dzeguzes balss
6. Es esmu bagāts
7. Pirmā pīle
8. Dziesma par krekliem. 2. variants
9. Cik mēs viens par otru zinām
10. Instrumentālā titru mūzika
Balsis: Līga Liepiņa (1), Pauls Butkevičs (1-3, 6-8), Juris Strenga (5, 9).
Ansamblis "Zvaigznīte" (filmā "Optimisti"):
Uldis Stabulnieks (klavieres)
Dzintars Beķeris (sitamie instrumenti)
Valdis Eglītis (basģitāra)
Gunārs Rozenbergs (trompete)
Andris Vilsons (ritma ģitāra)
Jūlijs Vilsons (solo ģitāra)
Lomās
Galvenajās lomās:
Uldis Pūcītis — Cēzars Kalniņš (dzied Juris Strenga)
Dina Kuple — Anita Sondore
Līga Liepiņa — Bella
Arnolds Liniņš — Miervaldis Tralmaks
Pauls Butkēvičs — Ralfs
Ansamblis "Optimisti":
Uldis Stabulnieks
Dzintars Beķeris
Valdis Eglītis
Gunārs Rozenbergs
Andris Vilsons
Jūlijs Vilsons
Epizodēs: Rostislavs Gorjajevs, Ernests Karelis, Antonija Kleimane, Armīns Lejiņš, Irēna Lagzdiņa, Jāzeps Pīgoznis, Renāte Stūrmane, Severīns Vilsons, Pēteris Šiliņš, Anda Zaice, Oļģerts Kroders, Edgars Liepiņš, Āris Rozentāls, Natālija Vītoliņa, Eduards Plataiskalns, Imants Kalniņš, Viktors Kalniņš.
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