Directed by:
Jiří SvobodaCinematography:
Vladimír SmutnýCast:
Jaromír Hanzlík, Jiří Bartoška, Marta Vančurová, Milan Kňažko, Karel Roden, Rudolf Hrušínský ml., Ladislav Potměšil, Zdeněk Mucha, Miroslav Donutil (more)Plots(1)
Jiří Svoboda’s political drama suggestively depicts the brutality of the fabricated political trials of the 1950s. It presents the communist machinery as a clockwork mechanism that can reliably disintegrate even the strongest individuality. (Summer Film School)
Reviews (1)
This film suffered based on when it was made, or rather from the time of its release because the fall of communism did not benefit cinema or the theater, and it took a good two years for the situation to stabilize. Many interesting films were overshadowed at the time, only to be replaced by disproportionately worse commercial trash. I dare to estimate that if Svoboda had made the same film today, it would have become at least a small film event. The film still showcases the high-quality craftsmanship of Barandov productions, which did have an undeniable level at the time. The fact is that 90% of current Czech film productions are simply not at this level. Some may wonder how such a critical film exposing the conditions of the 1950s could have been made by an engaged communist. To be honest, I find it to be a fairly logical consequence of the development of the Czech intellectual radical left-wing artistic scene. It is worth noting, however, that these people needed several decades and many bitter experiences to understand what was clear to many others from the beginning. At the same time, it is necessary to mention that the interest of these creators usually focuses on communist officials who became victims of the processes in the late stage of class struggle escalation, and they no longer pay attention to the many who were sent to labor camps much earlier, whether they were members of other political parties, priests, or private farmers - simply all those whom the regime considered its opponents. This film is not as excellent as Kachyňa's The Ear or Costa-Gavras' The Confession. It is somewhat schematic because the director wanted to depict the entire mechanism of how the political processes of that time worked, but for someone who wants to become acquainted with the political reality of the first half of the 1950s, it is certainly a good choice. Well-chosen actors deliver their high standards, and Jaromír Hanzlík is simply excellent in the role of a victim of the state security apparatus. Overall impression: 75%.
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Gallery (58)
Photo © Filmové studio Barrandov / Zdeněk Vávra
![Family Matters - Photos - Milan Kňažko, Miroslav Donutil, Jiří Bartoška, Zdeněk Mucha](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/000/266/266350_73d852.jpg)