Why Janošík?

If Cimerman represented everything that the Czechs were, then Janosik represented
everything the Slovaks wished to be.

Even before becoming a part of Czechoslovakia, Slovakia suffered severe political turmoil
and economic malaise. Under the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the Slovaks were repressed
and remained mostly rural people led by a small group of intellectuals. They barely had a
voice. On becoming a part of Czechoslovakia, in the wake of WW1, they struggled to
preserve their newly found national identity. It was a uniquely interesting time to create a
presence for themselves in the world of cinema, especially since, unbeknownst to them at
the time, the world was heading towards a second war in 1939. The Slovaks tried to
establish their own voice as early as the 1930s and Janošík represented their desire to form
their own state. “Janosik was one of the early full length feature films created in the newly
formed state; there was no independent Slovak feature film industry between the two world
wars”1. “The lack of technical progress and financial security is the biggest impediment of
both the quantitative and qualitative growth of Slovak cinema.”2

People use films to record, recount, and remember the stories of their time. What if the
reality of your time was so desolate that the only light at the end of the dark tunnel was a
story of a miracle – of a man who would rise from dust and decay of the poor and lost
Slovaks and stand up against the tyranny of the rich. A man who would bring wealth back his
people, and bring like-minded men together to further his cause.
Janosik was poised, humorous, cultured, righteous, smart, and skilled. His story was told
over and over again because it was the story that the Slovaks needed. A story of a saviour
that would bring laughter back to a free land and would lead to the downfall of the tyrants; “a

folk rebel against social and ethnic oppression”3.

In 1935, Martin Frič, a Czech director, brought Janošik to the international limelight with
Slovak actor, Palo Bielik as the legendary Slovak outlaw.4 A re-telling of the story with
sound, music and more action to capture more eyes, to remind people that Slovakia was still
struggling and that they still needed to be rescued.

1 Peter Hames, Nov 4, 2016, Best of Slovak Film 1921 – 1991 (2nd edition)
2 Sapna Gupta, 2006, Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film 3-Volume Set
3 Martin Votruba, 2006, Hang Him High: The Elevation of Jánošík to an Ethnic Icon
4 Peter Hames, Nov 4, 2016, Best of Slovak Film 1921 – 1991 (2nd edition)
Palo Bielik became a key director in the Slovak feature industry after WW2. Bielik adopted
the notions of the righteous outlaw to his morals and proved his loyalty once he was hired by
the Fascist government to make apolitical-cultural films, he went off the radar and joined the
Uprising, making films for the resistance. We can see how fictional characters can affect
actors to be better humans in their real life, see Robert Downey Junior, for example, he is
now the philanthropist that his pivotal role of Iron Man was supposed to be.

Analysing how the Film language in Martin Frič’s Janošík shows him as the saviour
versus the people of the village.

1. Establishing the state of the Slovaks.

The imagery shows how the Slovaks were treated like cattle, treated like prisoners on their
own land. There is a contrast in the open and free land and the people chained down and
forced to obey.
The shot where we see the people of the village from between the legs of the soldier is
impactful and worth noting because it is literally saying that “these people are beneath me
and in my control”.

2. The oppressors

The rich are always shown indoors. Always safe within the privilege of their high walls. In the
second image, we see one of the cruelest thing a person can do, torture a child, reinforing
the image of them as the “bad people”.

3. The effect of Janošík

The fear in the eyes of a man in power shows you that Janošík’s dedication to his family and
his people was something to beware of. This was the inciting incident that unleashed
Janošík’s wrath. The multiple exposure is used to show the heightening of fear and
foreshadowing the chaos the Janošík was to unleash.

4. Janošík’s wrath is kind

We don’t see Janošík killing anyone for revenge. He uses his skills and smarts and the help
of his fellow rebels to disrupt the Rule’s plans and to take back the wealth. Almost any time
that Janošík is by himself on screen, the camera is at a low angle and we look up at him.

5. Janošík was the manifestation of every Slovak’s dream

Janošík stayed true to his Slovak roots and encouraged music and celebration. In the
second image, he is shown as a protector and saviour. In the third photo, he is giving back to
his people what was taken from them, and with respect. Whenever Janošík is shown sharing
the screen with someone, we see the camera is at his eyeline. He does not think that he is
above them. Everyone looks up at him but he sees everyone as his equal.
From the beginning till the end, Janošík is shown as a man of honour and resolve, whether it
be dancing for his land one last time before his sentence (music played by the band who
respected his request) or whether it be carrying out his own sentence so that no one could
force him to be a prisoner.

Janošík represented everything the Slovaks wished to be and he represented what the
Slovaks needed. That is why this film was crucial to the birth of Slovak cinema. Some see it
as a silly film of a countryside bandit, but if you look closely, it was a cry for help in the form
of art.