270:
love towards him and of their bridegrooms. At the ceremony of confessions the oldest of the sisters, who loves money and power, pleases her father with the confession that she loves him more than gold. Her bridegroom promises power and order to his country. The younger one, who is obsessed with jewelry, confesses that she loves him more than even the most expensive jewels. Lastly, Maruška confesses that she loves him more than salt, because salt is a requisite for life. Her bridegroom, the Salt Prince, promises love to his daughter, prosperity, justice, and charity towards their people if he and Maruška should reign. The king is offended by Maruška's confession, because salt is common – everybody, even the poor, have some. The Salt Prince tries to defend Maruška, but her father expels Maruška from his kingdom. Meanwhile, the King of Nature, the father of the Salt Prince, appears and places a curse upon
Pravoslav's kingdom. From then on, every grain of salt within the kingdom would turn to gold, a good of supposed great worth. This event would not only influence the kingdom, but also the Salt Prince: because his ideas of good and of good will were taken so negatively, he disappears and is turned into a pillar of salt in the underworld. Maruška, expelled from the country of her father, undertakes a journey of finding her lost love, the Salt Prince. She finds the way to the underworld, the kingdom of the King of Nature.
278:
fill an old, dry well with water from a nearby stream. The well proves to be incapable of being filled in this manner, so she becomes distraught, but persists because of the love she feels. While being exhausted and dirty from her labors, a prince comes and asks her to marry him, but she refuses because she loves the Salt Prince. After this, the old woman advises her that she has to collect the tears of the people from her father's country, which are concentrated in the underworld meadow of oblivion. After collecting the tears, she revives the Salt Prince, whom she marries. As a marriage gift from the King of the Nature, the young couple is given a bag of salt which can never become depleted. They depart from the kingdom of the underworld to
Pravoslav's country, where they give the people salt. Pravoslav passes his crown to them and decrees that, in order to remind the people and guarantee that such a story should never repeat, people shall from that time welcome each stranger not only with bread, but also with salt.
386:
collected by Dobšinský, are featured in the narrative. The state of being lost with ideals, after experiencing crash with reality is shown in the metaphor of the petrified Salt Prince. The ideal of selfless love is shown in the scene where Maruška does not stop filling the dry well even when she sees no results stemming from her actions. The metaphor of reconciling mistakes is shown in the scene where Maruška collects the tears of the people hurt by her father's mistake on the meadow of forgetting (Oblivion) and uses them to revive the Salt Prince. The metaphor of the curse uttered upon those disregarding and nature, symbolized by
Pravoslav's contempt towards salt and the son of the King of Nature (Underworld), shows the damage that man's domination can cause and its consequences when not controlled.
29:
274:
bread comestible. When illnesses start to spread, Pravoslav decides to sell gold in exchange for salt from the neighboring country. However, as carriages with gold cross the border, the contents change to salt – and as salt (re)enters
Pravoslav's kingdom, it returns to gold. After realizing that this is happening, they recognize that their kingdom is cursed.
269:
The old king
Pravoslav wants to pass his throne on to one of his three daughters. The closest to his heart is his youngest, Maruška, but he wants to confirm his decision by reason not only by feelings, so he follows the advice of the court jester to decide according to their confessions of daughterly
385:
One of the themes is the depiction of old Slovak tradition of welcoming guests with bread and salt. Bread symbolizes utility necessary for life whereas salt symbolizes love and the act of giving, which makes life meaningful. Wisdom stemming from life experience, especially that of common people, as
273:
Meanwhile, Pravoslav and his other two daughters enjoy the gold they have, but once all of the food in the kingdom has become utterly unpalatable due to lack of salt, the two bridegrooms start quarrelling about money and the people of the kingdom strive to find any ingredient which would make their
277:
After being in the underworld, Maruška meets a group of nymphs who help her to find a wise old woman, who will advise her where to look for the Salt Prince. Here, Maruška is given a test in order to prove that she is capable of fighting for her love and able to resist temptation: she is tasked to
261:
makes several profound and idealistic observations about life and human nature. It also probes into Slovak cultural heritage and values.
567:
557:
426:) from 1954 which was better received and considered a classic. This version of the film is still played at Christmas in Slovakia.
395:"People strive only for gold and now they have it. You can not recognize true gifts of Mother Earth!" King of Nature (Underworld)
401:"They fight and kill each other, lead wars, loot the insides of the mother Earth for silly vanity." King of Nature (Underworld)
562:
552:
291:
87:
547:
410:
The film received mixed reviews. Critics said it was overly sad and gloomy. In addition, this version was compared in
445:
315:
245:. The film's central lesson is that salt, as it is necessary for life, is more precious than gold and emeralds.
121:
342:
450:
242:
398:"Not everywhere can be the waterwell, but it is important to try." Old wise woman (Mother of nymphs)
542:
336:
28:
300:
527:
440:
309:
230:
506:
222:
206:
43:
435:
415:
411:
214:
484:
470:
536:
238:
330:
321:
95:
511:
501:
254:
516:
521:
190:
182:
172:
149:
141:
127:
117:
109:
101:
83:
66:
58:
42:
21:
8:
372:Jaroslav Rozsíval ... shopkeeper with salt
27:
18:
136:Slovenský film Koliba, Omnia film Munchen
462:
33:Theatrical release poster by V. Vavrek
16:1983 Czechoslovakia, West Germany film
339:... Old wise woman (Mother of nymphs)
145:Slovenská požičovňa filmov Bratislava
7:
306:Zuzana Kocúriková ... Princess Vanda
241:fairy-tale film based on a novel by
375:Helena Húsková ... kingdom's tailor
303:... King of Nature (the Underworld)
327:Diethard Kirschlechner ... Argonit
14:
424:Once Upon a Time There Was a King
288:Karol Machata ... King Pravoslav
369:Boris Farkaš ... foreign prince
354:Ján Kramár ... leader of guards
1:
366:Ivan Krivosudský ... gardener
186:Czechoslovakia, West Germany
49:Soľ nad zlato, Der Salzprinz
502:Trailer in Youtube (Slovak)
348:Tibor Bogdan ... counsellor
158:February 27, 1983
584:
568:Films based on fairy tales
558:Czechoslovak fantasy films
446:The Goose-Girl at the Well
297:Gábor Nagy ... Salt Prince
360:Anton Korenčí ... cashier
54:
38:
26:
517:Slovak site about movie
507:Slovak site about movie
357:Juraj Paška ... marshal
512:Czech site about movie
363:Milan Kiš ... jeweller
563:Slovak-language films
451:The Dirty Shepherdess
420:Byl jednou jeden král
418:version of the story
553:Slovak fantasy films
351:Anton Šulík ... Chef
312:... Princess Barbora
253:Though ostensibly a
235:Il Principe del Sale
548:Czech fantasy films
294:... Princess Amelia
414:in with the older
318:... Prince Kazimír
93:Gábor Nagy (actor)
292:Libuše Šafránková
198:
197:
88:Libuše Šafránková
575:
489:
488:
481:
475:
474:
467:
343:Vlasta Fabiánová
337:Viera Strnisková
324:... King Norbert
316:Ľubomír Paulovič
310:Dietlinde Turban
165:
163:
113:Maximilián Remeň
31:
19:
583:
582:
578:
577:
576:
574:
573:
572:
533:
532:
523:The Salt Prince
498:
493:
492:
485:"Soľ nad zlato"
483:
482:
478:
471:"Soľ nad zlato"
469:
468:
464:
459:
432:
408:
392:
383:
378:
301:Ladislav Chudík
284:
267:
259:The Salt Prince
251:
243:Pavol Dobšinský
202:The Salt Prince
175:
168:
161:
159:
152:
137:
132:
130:
94:
92:
90:
79:
34:
22:The Salt Prince
17:
12:
11:
5:
581:
579:
571:
570:
565:
560:
555:
550:
545:
535:
534:
531:
530:
519:
514:
509:
504:
497:
496:External links
494:
491:
490:
476:
461:
460:
458:
455:
454:
453:
448:
443:
438:
436:Water and Salt
431:
428:
412:Czechoslovakia
407:
404:
403:
402:
399:
396:
391:
388:
382:
379:
377:
376:
373:
370:
367:
364:
361:
358:
355:
352:
349:
346:
340:
334:
328:
325:
319:
313:
307:
304:
298:
295:
289:
285:
283:
280:
266:
263:
250:
247:
196:
195:
192:
188:
187:
184:
180:
179:
176:
173:
170:
169:
167:
166:
155:
153:
150:
147:
146:
143:
142:Distributed by
139:
138:
135:
133:
128:
125:
124:
119:
115:
114:
111:
107:
106:
103:
102:Cinematography
99:
98:
85:
81:
80:
78:
77:
74:
70:
68:
64:
63:
60:
56:
55:
52:
51:
46:
40:
39:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
580:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
540:
538:
529:
525:
524:
520:
518:
515:
513:
510:
508:
505:
503:
500:
499:
495:
486:
480:
477:
472:
466:
463:
456:
452:
449:
447:
444:
442:
441:Cap-o'-Rushes
439:
437:
434:
433:
429:
427:
425:
421:
417:
413:
405:
400:
397:
394:
393:
389:
387:
380:
374:
371:
368:
365:
362:
359:
356:
353:
350:
347:
344:
341:
338:
335:
332:
329:
326:
323:
320:
317:
314:
311:
308:
305:
302:
299:
296:
293:
290:
287:
286:
281:
279:
275:
271:
264:
262:
260:
256:
248:
246:
244:
240:
236:
232:
228:
227:Der Salzprinz
224:
220:
219:Sůl nad zlato
216:
212:
211:Soľ nad zlato
208:
204:
203:
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
171:
157:
156:
154:
148:
144:
140:
134:
126:
123:
122:Karel Svoboda
120:
116:
112:
108:
105:Dodo Šimončič
104:
100:
97:
91:Karol Machata
89:
86:
82:
76:Peter Kováčik
75:
72:
71:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
50:
47:
45:
41:
37:
30:
25:
20:
522:
479:
465:
423:
419:
409:
384:
345:... fostress
331:Jozef Kroner
322:Juraj Kukura
276:
272:
268:
258:
252:
237:) is a 1983
234:
226:
218:
210:
201:
200:
199:
174:Running time
151:Release date
96:Jozef Kroner
73:Martin Hollý
62:Martin Hollý
48:
59:Directed by
543:1983 films
537:Categories
457:References
390:Quotations
255:fairy-tale
178:85 minutes
162:1983-02-27
129:Production
67:Written by
406:Reception
333:... clown
249:Viewpoint
183:Countries
131:companies
110:Edited by
430:See also
191:Language
118:Music by
84:Starring
231:Italian
160: (
381:Themes
239:Slovak
223:German
207:Slovak
194:Slovak
44:German
416:Czech
215:Czech
528:IMDb
282:Cast
265:Plot
526:at
539::
257:,
233::
229:,
225::
221:,
217::
213:,
209::
487:.
473:.
422:(
205:(
164:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
