Why a 1966 satire about two destructive women became a target for state censors.
In short: In the 1966 Czechoslovak film Daisies, two young women decide that since the world is spoiled, they will be too. They embark on a chaotic spree of gluttony, pranks, and destruction. While audiences found it masterly, the communist government saw it as a dangerous, nihilistic attack on societal values.
Directed by Věra Chytilová, Daisies follows two women, both named Marie, as they navigate a series of anarchic, surreal episodes. Played by non-professional actors Jitka Cerhová and Ivana Karbanová, the characters act like marionettes, their movements accompanied by mechanical creaking sounds. This doll metaphor was Chytilová’s way of highlighting the absurd expectations placed on women by a patriarchal society. By exaggerating these stereotypes, the film critiques how women are often infantilized, turning their supposed shallowness into a weapon of defiance.
The film’s structure is intentionally chaotic, shifting between color, black-and-white, and tinted footage to mirror the destruction the Maries leave in their wake. They manipulate men for free meals, disrupt performances, and eventually trash an elaborate feast in a basement. This behavior was interpreted by conservative government officials as an endorsement of bourgeois decadence and gluttony. Peter Hames, an expert on the Czechoslovak New Wave, noted that authorities objected to the film’s avant-garde form and its refusal to provide a positive moral example for the socialist state.
The political backlash was swift. In May 1967, MP Jaroslav Pružinec criticized the film for depicting wanton behavior, leading to its removal from major theaters. Despite this, the film gained international acclaim, with critics like Milan Kundera praising its dreamlike, poetic execution. While some American reviewers at the time dismissed it as empty-headed, modern critics argue that the film’s rebellion was a radical act of deprogramming against the dual pressures of totalitarianism and patriarchy. The film concludes with a dedication to those who prioritize their outrage over trivial matters, such as ruined food, rather than the systemic abuses of power occurring around them.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Daisies (film)
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