Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The Constable, whose real name is Richard, wants the earrings because they hold magical powers tied to his immortality scheme. He once owned the house that Valerie will inherit, and he needs the earrings to complete his plan of using Valerie's blood for eternal youth. The earrings were originally owned by Valerie's mother, linking them to his broader family manipulation.

Foreshadowing: Early in the film, the Constable's anger when the earrings are returned hints at their importance to his dark plans.

• constable
• richard
• earrings
• magic
• immortality
• house

Orlík is revealed to be Richard's son, making him Valerie's cousin rather than her brother or an unrelated thief. This explains why the Constable (Richard) is called his uncle throughout the film, he is actually his father. The confusion about their relationship stems from Orlík being raised knowing Richard killed his parents, when in fact Richard is his actual father.

Foreshadowing: Orlík's letter warning Valerie about his uncle killing his parents foreshadows the revelation that Richard is his father.

• orlík
• richard
• father
• cousin
• family

Richard, the Constable, is Valerie's biological father. He reveals this secret late in the film when he is dying and needs her blood to survive. This explains why he has been pursuing her throughout the film, not just for the earrings, but because her blood is the key to his survival and immortality.

Foreshadowing: The Constable's intense interest in Valerie from the beginning hints at a deeper connection beyond just the earrings.

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• father
• blood
• valerie
• biological

Elsa, Valerie's grandmother, is revealed to be a vampire living in a crypt beneath the house. She bites Hedvika to steal blood for her transformation and later attempts to bite Valerie. Elsa's vampirism is tied to her desperate desire for eternal youth, which Richard promised her in exchange for the house. She disguises herself as a distant cousin at one point to get closer to Valerie.

Foreshadowing: Elsa's threat to harm herself trying to revive a lost love hints at her desperate, supernatural nature.

• elsa
• vampire
• grandmother
• blood
• transformation

Gracián, the priest, attempts to assault Valerie and is then found hanged dead from her window. However, Valerie later revives him, though the exact mechanism is unclear given the film's surreal nature. His revival serves the plot by allowing him to falsely accuse Valerie of witchcraft, contributing to the climax where she must escape.

Foreshadowing: The film's surreal logic allows for supernatural resurrections, with earlier hints of magical elements through the earrings and pearl.

• gracián
• priest
• death
• revival
• witchcraft

The earrings are magical artifacts that can transform reality and people. They allow Valerie to perceive the supernatural world, grant immortality when combined with blood rituals, and can transform others, as demonstrated when Valerie tricks Richard into drinking one, turning him into a polecat. The earrings also protect Valerie from harm throughout the film.

Foreshadowing: The earrings' theft sets the entire plot in motion, establishing early on that they are no ordinary jewelry.

• earrings
• magic
• transformation
• polecat
• protection

Richard schemes to use Valerie's blood, which contains the magical properties from the earrings, to achieve immortality. He plans to transplant Orlík's heart into Valerie, believing this will grant him eternal life. His dying confession that he is Valerie's father makes her blood even more vital to his survival, creating a twisted father-daughter relationship built on supernatural exploitation.

Foreshadowing: Richard's promise to restore Elsa's youth in exchange for the house hints at his obsession with immortality.

• richard
• immortality
• blood
• heart
• transplant

The ending shows Valerie in a surreal forest surrounded by dancing figures including Orlík, Elsa with no memory, and her supposedly dead parents, a fantastical reunion. This appears to be largely symbolic, representing Valerie's psychological awakening and escape from the traumatic events rather than a literal occurrence. She falls asleep peacefully in the woods, symbolizing her transition into womanhood and acceptance of her complex identity.

Foreshadowing: The non-linear, dreamlike narrative that permeates the film culminates in this symbolic final sequence.

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• forest
• dream
• symbolic
• awakening

Orlík gives Valerie a pearl as a protective charm against the supernatural threats surrounding her. When Gracián attempts to assault her, she instinctively swallows the pearl for protection. The pearl appears to function as a magical amulet, though its full powers are ambiguous, its primary role is to shield her from immediate danger.

Foreshadowing: Orlík's gift of protection before the assault creates anticipation for its use.

• pearl
• protection
• swallow
• charm
• orlík

Elsa is confirmed as Valerie's grandmother throughout the film, though her identity becomes complicated when she disguises herself as a distant cousin to manipulate Valerie. Her vampiric nature and desperate actions against Valerie create doubt about her true allegiances, but she is definitively the grandmother connected to Valerie's maternal line.

Foreshadowing: Elsa's explanation of the earrings belonging to Valerie's mother establishes her grandmother role early.

• elsa
• grandmother
• identity
• cousin
• vampire

Gracián, after being revived, falsely accuses Valerie of witchcraft, leading to orders for her capture and execution by burning. This accusation stems from the chaotic aftermath of the supernatural events and the community's fear of the strange occurrences. The magical earrings ultimately save Valerie, allowing her to escape the flames and the witch hunt.

Foreshadowing: The accumulating supernatural events in the village create the perfect conditions for hysteria and false accusations.

• witchcraft
• accusation
• gracián
• burning
• escape