User reviews

The lovely and enchanting Jaroslava Schallerova stars as the title character, a girl on the verge of womanhood. She exists in a medieval fantasy land where such things as vampires and witches can exist. She seeks to learn the truth about her parentage, encountering a rich variety of characters. Among them are the likable, well-meaning Eaglet and the creepy "man" known as The Polecat.

This won't appeal to everybody; some viewers may believe it to be too "arty". But it's richly rewarding for those looking for an unconventional take on genre fare. Drawing inspiration from fairy tales such as "Alice in Wonderland" and "Little Red Riding Hood", director Jaromil Jires draws us into an intoxicating atmosphere. Music, costumes, and sets are all absolutely breathtaking. Jires dares to take his time with the pacing, yet his film runs a scant 77 minutes. It touches upon such subjects as innocence (and the loss of same), jealousy, vanity, sex, religion, and decadence. Viewers should be aware, however, that despite the presence of elements such as vampires and witches, that this is anything but a typical horror film.

Extremely well acted, heartfelt, and thoughtful, this is an interesting entertainment. It would play very well as part of a double feature with the American film "Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural". It may not have much in the way of gore or nudity, but it doesn't need these things to make an impact.

Eight out of 10.

A "coming of age" story like no other, this Czech Gothic fairytale is possibly the most lyrical film ever made. Valerie, a 13 year old staying with her grandmother while her parents are away has her first menstruation, triggering a series of interlocking dreams about lustful vampires who prey upon her youth. Despite the monstrous goings-on, the film is a buoyant and sensual pleasure to watch. The camera-work and composition never ceases to amaze and the energy of its tuneful folklike score propels the convoluted story forward effortlessly. And much credit should be given to Jaroslava Schallerova as Valerie who inhabits the role with the right balance of knowledge and wonder

In the 1960s British TV screened a good number of European Fairy tales like 'The Singing Ringing Tree' for children (probably because they were cheap product). They were often strange and grotesque evoking a real sense of the uncanny nature of pre-sanitised fairy tales. Valerie and Her Weeks of Wonders is made in this vein. Redemption may market the film as a 'virgin comes into sexuality' 70s softcore film, but it offers something more than this. There is an enormous amount of care taken in the film's visual composition and the music. Standing on the border between horror and fairy tale it brings out the latent combination of erotic desire, aggression and fantasy that links the two genres. At times the film borders on the sublime with its evocation of dreamlike imagery. Centred around Valerie's quest to discover the identity of her parents they are revealed to be duplicitous shape changers - at one moment a handsome man or woman and the next a hideous vampire beast. Eschewing the rules of Hollywood linearity and character continuity this film re-creates subjective space and affords us a welcome space in which to dream.

In politcs the spring of Prague was suppressed, but in film the Checoslovakian new wave lingered on for some time. One of its last films was "Valerie and her week of wonders" (1970).

Most of the coming of age films are about children of 16-18 years of age. Films about the age category 12-14 are much more rare. The few films that I know of are about boys of this age ("Something wicked this way comes" (1983, Jack Clayton) and "Stand by me" (1986, Rob Reiner)).

The only exception (a film about a girl of 12-14 years old) is "The company of wolves" (1984, Neil Jordan). In that film sexual awakening is symbolised by a folk / fairy tale. In "Valerie and her week of wonders" sexual awakening is characterized by dreamlike images of a Freudian kind. There is for example a poster in which an immaculate white flower is speckled with red spots symbolizing menstrual blood.

The resemblance between "The company of wolves" and "Valerie and her week of wonders" is no coincidence. "The company of wolves" is based on a story by Angela Carter. Angela Carter did see the "Valerie ... " movie in the early 70's. Maybe she was inspired by it?

Both films combine horror and coming of age eroticims, but there are in my opinion also differences. In "The company of wolves" the wolf stands for a man attracted by the virginity of Rosaleen. In "Valerie and her week of wonders" the vampire stands for the grandmother of Valerie, keen on her youth (and indirectly on her virginity I suppose).

In both films the attraction is mutual in the sense that others get interested in the growing up girl, but she gets interested in others too. In "Valerie and her week of wonders" there is a scene in which a loving couple is consummating their love in the meadow. Passing nuns quickly look away, but Valerie can't take her eyes off it.

"Valerie and her week of wonders" was certainly not the only coming of age movie of the Checoslovakian new wave. Another example is "Closely watched trains" (1966, Jiri Menzel). This is however a rather different coming of age movie. There are no horror elements, it is about a boy, the boy is 16 at least.

This is one of the most astounding films I have ever seen, both visually and in terms of narrative. It consists of at least two stories (a young girl becoming a woman, a vampire story) layered on top of each other with a kind of dream-logic. It looks a dream as well. A cleaned-up DVD edition would be nice, though.

Some viewers may be offended by its' oedipal imagery, but for me this is perhaps the best fantasy-movie ever. Great actors too. It would be interesting to know if any of the people involved in this made anything as good again. A solid ten.

Valerie is living with her grandmother and experiencing menarche, which triggers a series of dreams (or is it reality?) involving a vampire (or is her father?), a potential suitor (or is it her brother?), a long-lost cousin (or is it her rejuvenated grandmother-turned-vampire?). "Valerie" is a confusing and surreal film that is alternates between beautiful and nightmarish. The teenager who plays Valerie is pretty in an offbeat Bjorkish way, and an exceptional actress. I have a feeling this one gets better with subsequent viewings. Even though it is just over an hour long, the visuals are almost too much to take in all at once. Check it out if you are interested in seeing a bizarre and unique vampire film.

My Rating: 6.5/10.

Beautiful, disturbing, erotic, dreamlike... These are a few words that can sum up Jaromil Jires' deliriously bizarre fairy tale "Valerie and her Week of Wonders". Just like Richard Blackburn's sinister "Lemora", "Valerie" is a 'coming of age' tale told through a monstrous metaphor: vampires, who prey on the young to drain their innocence. Despite similarities theme-wise, these two films are quite different, and "Valerie" is certainly the most interesting of the two - a film that will definitely haunt you for life, with images so shocking today as they were back in 70's when it was released. It is 'horror' of rare ethereal beauty and poetry, and definitely one of it's kind - perfectly capturing the fear, the curiosity and the pleasure of a little girl's sexual awakening. Jaroslava Schallerová is spellbinding as the title character - a combination of Lewis Caroll's Alice and Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita. Helena Anýzová also gives a harrowing performance in the role of the grandmother, and her gradual transition from repressed Catholic old lady to a seductive, sex-crazed vampire is exquisite. Last but not least, Jires' excellent direction and Jan Curik's lush cinematography that highlights the film's "fever dream" tone help create this brilliant work of art that captures the essence of the ethereal and lyricism on celluloid unlike any other.

"Valerie and her Week of Wonders" reminded me of another European art movie, the Hungarian flick called "The Annunciation". They both feature young people wandering through a hazy dream-like environment barely intoning impenetrable dialogue. They both seem to be about something. They both couldn't care less if you understand them or not.

So far as I can tell "Valerie" is about a girl's dreams. I take it that that is what we're supposed to be watching. I get that the imagery is dreamlike, as is the sense of detachment the movie cultivates in you with its complete lack of engaging or emotive moments.

So, we're watching a dream. And just like a dream I kept tuning in and out, and was often in danger of abandoning it for pure sleep.

Yeah: I just didn't find it that interesting.

Awesome is not the correct word for this movie; I just did not want it to end. This film will have me searching for everything Jaromil Mires directed. The movie is great because of so many reasons. The camera angles that hover overhead, or come from the ground looking up. The surreal affects that make each scene magical and wonderful. The awesome photography with elements mixed with candles, water, fog, smoke, and yes-even cobwebs. A movie that is erotic in nature, with surreal images that cross between Vampires, Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood and the Zombies. It turns each second of this movie into a living masterpiece.

I won't mention the plot, however I WILL mention the sheer beauty of 13-year-old Valerie. What a beautiful girl, she makes this movie. Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders... you have my vote!!!

It appears to be a young girl's dream, apparently depicting her sexual awakening. It did a good job of mimicking a dream, jumping around from scene to scene and sometimes being confusing or contradictory.

I give it 5 stars mostly because I felt indifferent to it, plus 1 star for having a consistent tone.

I don't think it would be acceptable these days for a 13 year old actress to appear nude on screen.

My male art school friend denies this movie sexualizes the lead (an adolescent girl) but I disagree. This is a good example of a movie filmed for the male gaze. Personally, I would rather watch a movie about a girl's sexual awakening that was made by women.

An aimless but fascinating surreal fantasy – a sort of adult-oriented version of 'Alice In Wonderland' with a distinctly Eastern European flavor – VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS was a revelation for me, and I am very glad I went the extra mile to acquire a copy of it on VHS.

The narrative makes little sense and, like I said, it does not lead to anywhere in particular, but the film's trump card is the incredible (and often poetic) beauty of its images. The film ostensibly deals with the sexual awakening of a teenage girl, though the way director Jaromil Jires goes about this is extremely complex yet effortlessly captivating, and very enjoyable to boot. It takes in a variety of dazzling psycho-sexual concepts drawn from religion and mythological folklore which come off as both inextricably modern and deeply provocative still.

The film features a number of sexual perversions throughout, which is pretty amazing when considering that the lead actress was only 13 years old at the time (though nothing too explicit is ever shown): she is involved in lesbianism, incestuous/Oedipal familial relationships, and is even subjected to an attempted rape by a young priest – apart from being shown in various states of undress! In this way, it would seem to cater to the tastes of practically every broad-minded film-goer one can think of (be it art-house, horror or erotica), though it is arguable how well-known this film really is – which is a pity.

The few elements we find here of the traditional horror film are worth expanding upon, however: we get a number of vampires (the leading member bears an unmistakable resemblance to the Max Schreck of NOSFERATU [1922]) who periodically revert to their formerly more human and youthful selves, if only to further disorientate Valerie and ensnare her in their volatile and greedy schemes. Finally we 'witness' Valerie being burned alive at the stake (as a witch), a punishment instigated by the same priest who had earlier seduced her. Still, she manages to emerge unscathed from her every crisis, thanks to a special talisman (in the shape of a pair of earrings) and the help of her goofy but devoted brother/lover, who goes by the name of Eagle!

Jaroslava Schallerova, who plays Valerie, is lovely and utterly charming throughout, striking a perfect balance between wide-eyed innocence and a curious sexual urge. Photography, sets, costumes and make-up are all wonderful (if obviously done on a low budget) - and the accompanying choral music is beautiful indeed, almost ethereal.

The by-now deleted Redemption PAL tape presented the film in a full-screen format (I'm not sure if this is the correct ratio or not); the print was far from pristine but perfectly acceptable for an obscure item such as this. I wonder who owns the U.S. rights, as I would love to see it get a much-deserved renaissance on DVD.

I cannot say whether VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS was actually a one-off for this Czech film-maker, as I know very little about his other work. The only Jaromil Jires film available anywhere at the moment is THE JOKE (1969), by way of a reportedly substandard edition from Facets Video on VHS and DVD.

This movie by Jaromil Jires is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen, add to that a very dreamy atmosphere and a very theatrical plot concerning a little girl, her brother, her grandmother and a very strange priest. The priest is a devilish vampire, plotting to steal souls and prolong his life and he traps the grandmother in his evil scheme.

I do not want to expose more of the plot, because it's all so great. Just watch it, float along with it, and be impressed by it. Still the colors, the camera work and the acting and EVERYTHING is just.... The best.

The narrative is fast and disjointed, but the story is somewhat linear and can be taken at face value. It doesn't cross over into the delightfully over the top absurdism of a Jodorowsky film, and if compared to those pictures, comes off a little tame. I've seen praise for the visual style of the film, but I'm not sure the medieval fantasy aesthetic appeals much to my particular tastes. There may have been some symbolism and commentary about growing up/aging, but it was a little difficult to decipher.

When I was a student, 30 years ago, I saw maybe a film a day. I was 17 when I saw Valerie for the first time. It may not be the best film ever made, but I was stunned by the beauty of the images, the story, the direction and especially the people. If film is a dream made visual, this is the quintessential film. I saw it several times during the seventies, and always the magic struck again. In 1995 I found it on video. I had to switch it off after 30 seconds. The quality was so poor all the magic was lost. Do not see this film if you cannot see it in 100% optimal conditions. No DVD seems to be available. To me, Valerie is a memory of an ideal, of what film ought to be. I can live with such a memory.

A pathfinder of Czechslovak NEW WAVE in the 60s, Czech filmmaker Jaromil Jires (1935-2001) kick-started the movement with his feature debut THE CRY (1963), and his third feature VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS, is probably his most well-known work, an adaptation from avant- garde writer Vítězslav Nezval's eponymous surrealistic novel, about a 13-year-old girl Valerie's (Schallerová, an ethereal nymph borne out of her screen debut) phantasmagorical experience happening around her after she has had her very first menstruation.

Sandwiched between Vera Chytilova's DAISIES (1966) and Juraj Herz's MORGIANA (1972), Jires' concoction of fantasy and horror snappily juggles with the former's experimental whimsy and the latter's Gothic trope. A bountiful of motifs are cooked together in this mash-up from scene to scene within its terse 73-minutes running time: sexual awakening, Electra complex, virgin worship, wedding and funeral, clergyman's unbridled carnal lust, lesbianism, sibling incest, witch-hunt, vampirism, shapeshifter and black magic.

An overload of dreamlike eeriness polished by Jan Klusák and Lubos Fiser's quaintly pastoral soundtrack, what Valerie sees and what she dreams merge into the same universe. Is Constable (Prýmek, a Death impersonation grafted on his gargoyle physiognomy), the masked priest, her birth father or just a weasel monster? Is Orlik (Kopriva), the young thief falls for her, a passing actor or her own brother? Is her grandmother (Anýzová, under heavy cosmetics to portray three different roles, a terrorising presence notwithstanding), a blood-thirsty vampire or a past lover of Constable, which would further complicate the story into the realm of absurdism and controversy.

Astounded by the otherworldliness of its visualisation, confounded by the narrative's incredulous successions of happenings, viewers who expect instantaneous pizazz and outré encounter will certainly adore its innovative execution, meanwhile those who expect a sober narrative with haunting effects will find the film largely quixotic within its own capacity.

This 1970 film from Czechoslovakia is a surrealistic movie that deals with a teenage girl bizarre dreams after reaching puberty. The film is certainly imaginative, has very strong visuals, is submerged in lovely central European folklore and is shot in luscious color. But what bothered me a little was something else: the constant mockery of the Catholic church. Though I'm not a specially religious person, one must say that the Catholic church was not the most oppressive institution in Czechoslovakia in 1970. Rather, this was the time of the communist repression after the breakup of the Prague Spring. So, in light of this, these shots against a potential enemy of the communist regime seem a bit politically opportunistic, and gives a somewhat bad taste to an otherwise fine film.

A masterpiece of erotic confusion, Valerie comes as a delightful introduction to prolific Czechoslovakian director Jaromil Jires, whose career spans five decades. Jires blends reality and illusion to the extent that a synopsis does a disservice to the film, yet the literary story would work quite well on its own. Jaroslava Schallerovà, only 14 years old at the time, plays Valerie, a pretty young girl who lives with her grandmother in a beautiful yet antiseptic house. Her boyfriend (or perhaps brother), who goes by the name Eagle, sets off a chain of unusual events when he steals her earrings. A troupe of actors, or perhaps a wedding procession, comes into town, bringing with it a man who may be a monstrous vampire but may also be Valerie's father. Soon after Valerie's grandmother either disappears or dies, her Cousin Else shows up at the house and bears more than a striking resemblance to the grandmother (indeed, I believe these characters are played by the same actress). Things progress much along these lines, with eventually Valerie experiencing a major reawakening. Jires films in an impressively sensual manner, creating a mood through imagery rather than plot point. At times, however, the details get rather confusing, which can unfortunately shift attention from the beautiful composition and editing to deducing narrative developments. Many sequences appear to occur within the story but then end with the suggestion that they have just been imagined, introducing a need to constantly second-guess one's perceptions. Schallerovà plays the role with stunning (perhaps genuine) innocence. Without overindulged serenity, Valerie mystifies and befuddles through an agenda of symbol-soaked imagery and fantastic storytelling.