Erotikon

Erotikon stands among the finest achievements of Czechoslovak silent cinema. Director Gustav Machatý adapted a simple story by poet Vítězslav Nezval about a country girl's passionate affair with a mysterious stranger that leaves her pregnant. The woman travels to the city to give birth in secret. Though she eventually marries a noble, wealthy, and settled man out of gratitude, she nearly succumbs to her former lover once more... The film's exceptional quality lies primarily in its modernist form. What might seem like a plot borrowed from pulp fiction becomes, through Machatý's vision, a work of lasting significance. Compositionally ingenious shots, evocative light contrasts, masterful use of visual symbols, and dynamic editing demonstrate the director's and cinematographer's skill. The film, featuring an international cast led by star actress Ita Rina, was sold abroad even before completion. Machatý later followed it with the similarly themed but sound film Extase.