Scenarist Jiří Brdečka and filmmaker Oldřich Lipský, the same team that had served up Lemonade Joe (1964), also created the zany, visually inventive, deliriously funny Adéla ještě nevečeřela, a Czech spoof of Hollywood detective mysteries and spy thrillers. Set around 1900, its protagonist is ubiquitous Nick Carter (Michal Dočolomanský, wonderful), who leaves New York City for Prague to investigate a case. It seems that Gert has vanished from an opulent mansion, leaving only his collar behind. Gert is (or perhaps was) the family dog. Everywhere he goes, usually accompanied by the rotund police inspector (Rudolf Hrušínský—every Sherlock needs his Watson), Nick is being watched. There’s more to this case than meets the eye.
Indeed! The “Adéla” of the title is a carnivorous plant being trained by Nick’s nemesis, currently disguised as Baron von Kratzmar (Miloš Kopecký, deliciously villainous), to devour to a Mozart tune the two men he hates: Nick; the now elderly teacher who flunked him in botany and biology. This soul out of Feuillade (or Feuillade by way of Franju) and Lang, who Nick believed had drowned in a swamp, is known only as The Gardener, because of his obsession with weird plants. Alas, our hero, Nick, will be eaten by Adéla right in front of our astonished eyes. Courage! After all, in a flashback The Gardener seems to us, and to Nick again, to drown. Somehow Nick will get out of this!
Lipský has given his material an exhilarating form somewhat reminiscent of Joseph Losey’s terrific Modesty Blaise (1966). Flashbacks in sepia alternately appear as stills or in live action; one of Nick’s numerous gadgets and contraptions has him flying over Prague; the characterization of Adéla blends props and animation.
Adéla makes things and people vanish. Totalitarianism?
Dennis Grunes 