Based on the 1945 novel by the same name, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders offers a surrealist view into religion, guilt, girlhood, love, sex, and fear. Directed by Jaromil Jireš and released in 1970, it is considered part of the Czechoslovak New Wave Movement, a time when filmmakers in communist countries were producing films that their earlier counterparts wouldn't for fear of censorship. It's a tale about indulging in our material and carnal pleasures regardless of what others may think or how it may affect them, similar to what is probably the most famous film of the genre, Daisies from 1966.
A whirlwind of confusion, horror, and desire, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders tells the tale of a young maiden, Valerie, who is just beginning her journey into womanhood. She is preyed upon by almost all adults she comes into contact with, family members and strangers alike. She has encounters with vampires, actors, and missionaries who all shape her understanding of what is happening to her. This film is so chock-full of allegories and symbols, it's hard to know where to start when trying to understand it. When dissecting a piece of art such as this one I find it's helpful to start with recurring images and themes.
In this movie one of the most frequent images we see is a white illustration (eg. daisy, room, dress), stained with another color, symbolizing Valerie's loss of innocence. Another recurring motif is her pearl earrings, which everyone is trying to steal from her. They also symbolize her innocence and childhood. If you couldn't tell by now, this movie is essentially about a young girl going through puberty while those around her prey on her. Another huge theme is the guilt Valerie feels about "betraying" her Catholic roots as she explores her natural desires and investigates her sexuality. In a way she is an Eve-like figure, tempted by the exciting and erotic images she sees around her. Another motif that helps cement the idea that she "is" Eve are the apples we see her eating constantly and, eventually, when she lays in a coffin made out of said apples. The themes are heavily portrayed by the plot; they are not discreet at all.
A troupe of actors come to the village where she lives, surrounding a wedding party. Valerie remarks that she feels bad for the girl being married, insinuating that she knows that the girl will be caged in an unloving marriage. The actors play, jump, whoop and holler, a wonderful distraction from the truth of the matter. Valerie sees the truth of adulthood; she sees that while it looks enticing, it is really just a trap. There is tons of imagery of people being trapped inside cages, both of their own volition and involuntarily. As the party progresses through town she sees a monster with a mask of a polecat grinning right at her. She is horrified, but when she looks back to see if it was real or not he has been replaced with a young man. The polecat is the main villain of the film, symbolizing the snake in the tale of Adam and Eve. He is Satan––he is desire, and he is the life-sucking force of a vampire.
He wants Valerie more than anything because she is the only one who is still pure, who is still young and can do no evil. All the vampires in the movie prey on the young girls of the town, but only Valerie is an ever full fountain of youth.
As the confusion and panic she feels crescendos towards the end of the movie, she gets burned at the stake for being a "temptress." It's an act of retribution from the church for her mortal sin. However, no matter how many times they try to kill Valerie, she cannot die, for she is adolescence, she is womanhood, and you cannot kill off that no matter how hard you try.
At the end of the film we see a repetition of the primary scenes, but this time Valerie seems to see the truth. Gone is the wedding party, gone is the polecat. There are no more vampires, no more missionaries. Valerie ventures into the woods where we see the actors with all their enticements once again, except this time she no longer looks at it with fear and uncertainty. She goes further into the forest where she finds her bed, her one safe space, surrounded by a ring of people wearing white and black, or a mix of purity and impurity. She goes to her bed and falls asleep. She has become comfortable in her newfound womanhood and is safe from the people who would wish to hurt her.
Some might compare this film to The Virgin Suicides, as they are both tales about religion and sexuality, but one is about succumbing and the other about resistance. I would compare it to a truer version of Lolita, where although the original author had good intentions, the film adaptations paint the girl characters in an extremely demeaning light. Instead of being told from the predator's perspective like Lolita, Valerie is told from the girl's perspective, and because of this we see the monsters as they really are. But she still comes out on top.
Now to answer the question you've all probably been wondering. Why is she writing about this totally random Czech movie from the 70s?! I believe because of this movie I have seen my own femininity through different eyes, but I know that no matter who you are this movie can and will make you look at the world differently. It's not a perfect movie, to be sure, but it is clear and direct in its message and demands that we listen to it.. Not only is it a wonderful story, but it's also very visually interesting and filled with lots of awesome set and costume design.
I find that an issue with modern films and adaptations is that they are far too focused on plot, neglecting to offer us lessons and ideas that we can apply to our own lives. No matter how confusing the plot of a movie may be, if we look at it from an analytical perspective we will learn truths about the world we might never have thought to seek out, had it not been for this piece of art. Valerie teaches us that feeling temptation is natural and giving into it isn't the be-all end-all sin. If we accept who and what we are, the world won't seem as confusing as it once did and we will be safe from fear.
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