Feminism and Anarchy: The Political Heart of ‘Daisies’

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LUMICORE V1.2 — CANON SCENE PROMPT “After the Courses” (Ongoing Provocation — Gaze Asymmetry Locked) FORMAT: Horizontal cinematic still ERA: Mid–1960s, Czechoslovakia REALISM MODE: Grounded observational realism with restrained absurdity PROMPT A horizontal cinematic image set in a formal dining room in mid-1960s Czechoslovakia, rendered in grounded realism with subtle, restrained absurdity rather than overt surrealism. Two Czech women in their late 20s sit near the center of a long banquet table. One is blonde, the other brunette. Their features are natural and unidealized—recognizably human, expressive, and imperfect, with no stylization or glamorization. Their expressions suggest anticipation rather than satisfaction. Mischief is present but unresolved. One woman looks directly toward the camera with a steady, unreadable gaze. The other woman’s gaze drifts slightly downward and off-camera, breaking eye-line symmetry and reinforcing hesitation rather than confrontation. Their mouths are neutral or slightly parted, as if mid-thought. They are seated amid the remains of a formal meal. Plates are partially emptied. Cutlery is displaced but not scattered. Glasses are half-full. Cakes sit sliced but intact. Fruit has been handled, bitten, and repositioned. Wine has spilled in small, irregular stains that soak into the tablecloth rather than splashing theatrically. Their hands are active but undecided. One woman’s fingers rest in crumbs on her plate. The other holds a fork loosely against the table edge, angled as if just set down or about to be picked up again. Hands show faint traces of use—crumbs, a wine smudge—but no exaggerated gesture or symbolic pose. The table is long and heavily set. Disorder has accumulated through repetition and disregard rather than destruction. Nothing is oversized or exaggerated. They wear mid-1960s dresses with bold floral or abstract patterns typical of the era. Fabrics behave naturally, creasing with posture and weight. Clothing exists within the environment rather than blending into it. The background remains physically plausible: patterned wallpaper, heavy curtains, institutional interior lighting. Any sense of strangeness comes from framing and color relationships rather than fantasy effects. Colors—muted reds, yellows, and greens—are present but softened by indoor lighting and period film stock. The camera observes at eye level with a slight offset, as if arriving before or after the action. The moment feels paused mid-behavior, not staged or performative. The tone is playful but dry, rebellious but restrained. Power resides in hesitation, appetite, and refusal rather than chaos. The image captures decision in progress, not outcome. CAMERA & LENS Normal focal length (40–50mm equivalent) Eye-level or slightly offset angle Natural depth of field LIGHTING Even, institutional interior lighting typical of the era No spotlighting or surreal color effects NEGATIVE PROMPTS No swirling or kaleidoscopic backgrounds No exaggerated scale or floating objects No fantasy color explosions No theatrical or symbolic posing No direct visual recreation of Daisies

When Věra Chytilová’s Daisies (Sedmikrásky) premiered in 1966 in what was then Czechoslovakia, it hit audiences like a cinematic shockwave. (In 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two nations: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.) A vibrant and chaotic masterpiece of the Czech New Wave, the film defied categorization with its surreal imagery, biting satire, and unapologetic energy. Daisies rejected not only societal norms and authoritarian control but also the conventions of traditional storytelling. The film’s influence soon rippled across borders and decades, with its radical message continuing to resonate powerfully in its exploration of gender, power, and rebellion.

At its core, Daisies is a surreal romp following two young women—both named Marie (played by Ivana Karbanová and Jitka Cerhová)—as they decide that since the world is “spoiled,” they might as well be too. What unfolds is a series of bizarre and transgressive escapades: they devour feasts, gatecrash parties, and gleefully disrupt everything in their path. Their antics may seem destructive to many, but they’re also strangely liberating—a middle finger to societal expectations and a refusal to conform to the roles assigned to them as women.

This defiance is where Daisies asserts itself as a feminist tour de force. In an era when women on screen were often depicted as dutiful wives, self-sacrificing mothers, or passive objects of desire, the Maries are a revelation. They are selfish, chaotic, and unrepentant. They consume food, attention, and resources without a shred of guilt. They destroy with no regard for consequence. By centering women who refuse to play “nice,” Chytilová clearly challenges the stereotypes that aim to constrain female behavior, both in life and on film.

But feminism is only part of the story. Daisies is also a deeply political work. Made under the repressive regime of 1960s Czechoslovakia, Daisies gleeful destruction through the eyes of the Maries can be read as a subversive critique of authoritarianism—a refusal to participate in a system that demands compliance. Chytilová’s experimental approach to editing, narrative, and color further underscores this defiance, creating a work of art that refuses to play by any rules, cinematic or otherwise.

This marriage of feminism and anarchy is what gives Daisies its lasting resonance. Even today, women are often policed for stepping outside traditional roles, rebellion is met with resistance, and consumerism continues to shape our lives in troubling ways. The Maries, with their chaotic energy, force us to confront these issues head-on. They ask us to consider: Why do we prioritize order over freedom? Productivity over joy? Compliance over individuality?

Watching Daisies now is exhilarating and disorienting in equal measure. The film doesn’t offer tidy answers or easy resolutions. Instead, it revels in ambiguity and disorder, reminding us that real change often comes from breaking things apart before rebuilding. The film urges us to think differently, question authority, and imagine new possibilities—not just for cinema, but for the world at large.

The Maries may leave destruction in their wake, but their rebellion is far from senseless chaos. It’s a declaration of freedom, a refusal to be confined by a world that seeks to control and define them.

Watch as, in their exuberant anarchy, Daisies reminds us that sometimes, the most revolutionary act is to reject the rules entirely.