Glembajevi film

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Production year: 1988

Duration: oko 120 minuta

Technique: color

Genre:

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Director:
Vrdoljak, Antun

Production house:
Jadran film
FRZ Glembajevi

Camera:
Vrdoljak Vjekoslav

Synopsis:
Eleven years after his mother’s suicide, Leone Glembay returns from abroad to his family home in Zagreb. He is haunted by depressing memories, particularly by thoughts of his deceased mother, his sister who committed suicide, and the Baroness Castelli, his father’s second wife. The only member of his family that Leone respects is Beatrice, his brother Ivan’s widow. She became a nun, taking the new name of Angelika. He is a witness to omnipresent hypocrisy and is repulsed by the criminal means by which his family became rich. Ultimately, Leone confronts his father and the baroness…

Cast:
Mustafa Nadarević (Leone Glembay), Ena Begović (baroness Castelli), Tonko Lonza (Ignjat Glembay), Bernarda Oman (Beatrice, nun Angelika), Matko Raguž (Silberbrant), Žarko Potočnjak (Puba Fabriczy), Zvonimir Zoričić (Franz), Zvonko Strmac, Zvonimir Rogoz, Ksenija Pajić (beggar Fanika Canjeg), etc.

Country of production:
Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (Socialist Republic of Croatia)

Screenplay:
Antun Vrdoljak (based on the play Gospoda Glembajevi and prose from the Glembaj cycle by Miroslav Krleža)

Music by:
Arsen Dedić

Edited by:
Damir German

Set designer:
Željko Senečić

Costume designer:

Commentary:
This is a fine and not at all routine adaptation of one of Krleza’s main works. The critics were divided in their opinions about Glembajevi (partly because the Baroness Castelli was much younger than in the original story), but the audience loved it without any reservations. Just as Krleza found inspiration for his Glembay cycle in the Ibsen-Strinberg dramatic model, the director Antun Vrdoljak tried to follow the Strindberg-Bergman matrix. Nevertheless, he lacked the essential creative potential necessary for developing a deeper, more energetic perspective of his characters’ psychic idiosyncrasies. Even so, Vrdoljak’s most impressive achievement is that he decided to take up a theme rarely portrayed in Croatian cinematography. Moreover, he successfully adapted the original literary work. In addition, Vrdoljak’s son Vjekoslav did a great job as a director of photography, while Arsen Dedić made an excellent musical score for the film.

Awards: Pula 1988 - Golden Arena for Best Male Actor to Mustafa Nadarević 
                                  Golden Arena for Best Supporting Actress to Ena Begović (the actress refused it because she considered her role to be the leading one) 
                                  Golden Arena for Costumes Design
               Herceg Novi 1988 - Bronze Mimosa for direction (together with Zdravko Sotra for the film Braca po materi)
               Vrnjačka Banja 1988 - 3rd award for the screenplay
               Niš 1988 - Grand prix Cele kula to Mustafa Nadarević

Screening permit: from June 30, 1988