Maimärchen (1940): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 1940, Maimärchen is a drama and liebesfilm film directed by Otakar Vávra, running about 87 minutes.

What it’s about. Ríša, a student of law, neglects his studies in favour of parties and pranks. His angry father refuses to continue helping him out of his debts. Ríša, however, is not entirely beyond hope. He decides to go and stay for a while with his uncle, a priest, who lives in Moravia, in order to prepare for his exams. He meets Helenka, the timid daughter of the local gamekeeper, at a village ball and is enchanted by her. The days pass and their idyllic relationship begins to tire Ríša. He begins to tell Helenka about his former debauched life the about the broken hearts of beautiful women. Helenka is hurt and refuses to see Ríša anymore. His uncle, the priest, is incensed at his behaviour and orders his nephew out of the house. Ríša tries desperately to find Helenka so he can make it up to her.

Who’s in it. Maimärchen stars Nataša Gollová as Helenka, Jaroslav Vojta as revírník, Leopolda Dostalová as Marta and Svatopluk Beneš as Ríša Gregor, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.0/10, Maimärchen has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Maimärchen page.

If you liked it. Fans of Maimärchen tend to enjoy Die Verurteilten, Der Pate, Schindlers Liste and Der Pate - Teil II.