The Proud Princess: a fairy tale that has won the hearts of generations

The Proud Princess is a 1952 Czechoslovak film fairy tale by director Bořivoj Zeman, inspired by the work of Božena Němcová. It is one of the most famous films of Czech cinema, and has won the hearts of many generations.

The plot

Princess Krasomila (Alena Vránová) from the Midnight Kingdom rejects suitors because of her pride. However, King Miroslav (Vladimír Ráž) is not to be deterred and decides to re-educate her. Disguised as a gardener, he sets out for her kingdom and wins her attention through a magical singing flower. The princess falls in love with him and leaves her proud life. A journey among the people changes her and she discovers that the gardener is actually King Miroslav, opening the way for their happiness together.

Features from filming

• Location: filming took place in many iconic locations, such as the Hluboká Castle, Panské skály u Kamenický Šenov, Dolský mlýn v Český Švýcarsku, and Piaristické náměstí v České Budějovice. The opening shot of the film shows the castle in Český Krumlov.
• The cast. During her studies, she was threatened that she would not be able to continue because of the filming, but eventually managed to graduate.
• Personal stories.
• Criticism and awards:The film won the Children's Film Award at the IFF in Karlovy Vary, but also faced criticism. For example, reviews at the time criticized the incorrect portrayal of farm work or the "unCzech" nature of the songs.
• In the scene where the princess throws the ball over the gate to King Miroslav, Krasomila is standing in the Hluboká castle, while Miroslav is at the dam of the Svět pond in Trebon.
• The fairy tale became the most attended film in Czechoslovak cinemas, where it was seen by 8.2 million viewers, according to the Union of Film Distributors. The film won the award for best children's film at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
• The plot of the fairy tale is partly inspired by the story "King Drozdibrad" by the Brothers Grimm. Similar is the German fairy tale "The Singing Tree" (filmed in 1957 as "Das Singende, klingende Bäumchen"), where a spoiled princess longs for a magical singing tree.

Source.