In honor of International Women’s Day, I felt it was fitting to review what is considered to be a seminal piece of anarcho-feminist cinema, Věra Chytilová’s 1966 Daisies. Chytilová’s Czechoslovakian absurdist farce catalogues the adventure of two young women spending their days scamming old men and pondering life. If unadulterated fun was something you could bottle and sell as a piece of media, Daisies would be it.
For some context, Daisies was released at a time when tensions were brewing in Czechoslovakia, as citizens grew restless under the failing Communist regime. In two years time, the Prague Spring would occur, and with it would come the Soviet annexation of Czechoslovakia – a rule which would last 23 devastating years. At this particular time in film history, a new era of cinema was beginning to emerge from Czechoslovakia – the Czech New Wave. It was marked by avant-garde stylings, erratic edits, and lyrical plotlines which relied almost entirely on visuals over dialogue. Chytilová served as one of the most prominent figures in this movement. Daisies was a particularly controversial selection from this era, and was banned immediately upon release for depicting excessive food waste.
Throughout the film, the two main characters – both named Marie – question how they can be certain that either one of them exists, a motif which reflects the existential dread facing Czechoslovakians at the time. The film opens with the two Maries pondering what one is to do when the world has “gone bad.” In a moment of cinematic revelray, they decide that the only logical answer is to go bad with it. With a sudden cut, Chytilová throws us into a whirlwind of imagery, sound, and colour as we embark on this journey with these two precocious free-spirited women.
While Chytilová has rejected the label of feminism in her work, there is a uniquely feminine nature to Daisies. Particularly significantly, there is an unavoidable sense of play that is rarely portrayed in narratives surrounding women – at least not with the level of agency the two Maries possess. At its core, Daisies is the ultimate celebration of femininity. The characters act almost in ignorance of their patriarchal expectations. They drink, they cause mayhem, they trample on the hearts of men, and above all else, they radically enjoy themselves. In a work that challenges the individual’s place in the production of society, the underlying current of patriarchal rule cannot be lost. At one point in the story, the two Maries experience an existential crisis when men appear to stop noticing them. They conclude that they must no longer exist as a result. Further subtle critiques of the patriarchy’s effect on feminine identity are scattered throughout the narrative.
Jaroslav Kučera, the film’s cinematographer, offers a visual feast with rapid shifts between color, black and white, and tinted film. Often seemingly random bursts of montages consisting of unrelated images jump in during scenes, creating both a sense of unpredictability and excitement. Every aspect of Daisies feels fresh. Chytilová’s command of the cinematic form is a marvel to experience. Every moment, no matter how seemingly random it is, comes as a result of precise calculation.
When we think of revolutionaries in film, the list appears overwhelmingly male. But, as the work of Chytilová shows, this is fundamentally untrue. It took me a long time to settle on what film was apt to discuss for International Women’s Day, feeling pressure to pick one that gets at the essence of feminist cinema. Such a task is impossible; however, what makes cinema radically feminist is not its exploration on poiltics per say, but rather a film’s choice to be unapologetically female. Whether or not to call Chytilová and her work feminist is not an easy answer, but her legacy in female cinematic stories is undeniable. Daisies is not just a reflection on womanhood, but a radical reminder of the power of women behind the camera.
Daisies is available on DVD from the University Library as well as online on the BFI Player and The Criterion Channel