Directed by:
Martin FričScreenplay:
Václav WassermanCinematography:
Václav VíchCast:
František Smolík, Vlasta Burian, Antonie Nedošinská, Ela Poznerová, Alexander Třebovský, Ella Nollová, Čeněk Šlégl, Gustav Hilmar, Vladimír Smíchovský (more)Plots(1)
After years of grind Martin Žemla finally manages to open his own grocer's shop. His neighbour, Šustrová the widow, manoeuvres the kind and gentle Žemla into marrying her daughter Pavlína. But she feels a mere grocer is not good enough for her and tells him on their wedding night that she does not like him and makes him sleep in the backroom of the grocer's shop. Retired horse master Kyllian often comes into Žemla's shop. He abuses Žemla's hospitality and drinks and eats there on tab. Žemla is upset by the flagrant selfishness of the two women. He also has to tolerate them devouring all his groceries. When the widow falls ill Pavlína allegedly goes to visit her at the hospital, but in fact she meets a young officer. Then Šusterová comes out of hospital. Pavlína tries to coax Žemla into her bedroom but he refuses. He finds out by chance from her mother that Pavlína is pregnant. He realises his wife has been unfaithful. He surveys his miserable life and his empty shop and poisons himself by eating match heads. The police come the next day and find him dead. Kyllian profits from the confusion and erases the tab on which his debts are recorded. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (3)
This suffocating drama by Ignát Hermann is one of the greatest triumphs in František Smolík's career. Nedošinská and Burian were also transformed here in a fascinating way. From today's point of view, it’s too bad that Smolík was forever suppressed by the guest star Burian. Appreciating Smolík is apparently only for the advanced.
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František Smolík can act as well as he likes - and of course he does, there is no doubt about that, but all the attention is still drawn to Burian's freeloader, and deservedly so. He captures the character perfectly and the audience must wonder how the uncle, who is constantly insulting everyone around him except those from whom he gets something, gets on their nerves more and more.
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The humor of this time simply amuses me, and I literally stared when Antonie Nedošinská was chatting with her film daughter. Their nighttime conversation is quite rough, and the words they use really caught my attention. This is also a beautiful use of the Czech and German language. Vlasta Burian is different than usual, but still good. However, the film as a whole is not such a big win.
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