Directed by:
Jiří MenzelCinematography:
Jaromír ŠofrComposer:
Jiří ŠustCast:
Rudolf Hrušínský, Vlastimil Brodský, Václav Neckář, Jitka Zelenohorská, Jaroslav Satoranský, Vladimír Šmeral, Ferdinand Krůta, František Řehák (more)Plots(1)
Shot in 1968, whilst Czechoslovakia enjoyed a brief moment of political liberalization, Larks on a String is a searing political satire from director Jirí Menzel and writer Bohumil Hrabal. Like their earlier Oscar-winning triumph Closely Observed Trains, it audaciously combines black humour with grim reality. Set in a scrap metal yard where dissidents are interned to be ‘re-educated’, the film is both a powerful critique of totalitarianism and a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit. Promptly banned by the Communist regime, the film remained unseen until 1990, when it was released to great acclaim, winning the grand prize at the Berlin Film Festival. Now regarded as a lost masterpiece, Menzel's wry comic drama is a hymn to humanity and nonconformity. (Second Run)
(more)Cast
Rudolf Hrušínský
Czechoslovakia
Best movies:
Higher Principle (1960)
The Elementary School (1991)
Journey into the Depth of the Student's Soul (1939)
Vlastimil Brodský
Czechoslovakia
Best movies:
Tažní ptáci (1983) (TV movie)
Secluded, Near Woods (1976)
Men About Town (1969)
Václav Neckář
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
Best movies:
Larks on a String (1969)
The Incredibly Sad Princess (1968)
Closely Observed Trains (1966)
Jitka Zelenohorská
Czechoslovakia
Best movies:
Jako kníže Rohan (1983) (TV movie)
Adela Has Not Had Her Supper Yet (1978)
Larks on a String (1969)
Jaroslav Satoranský
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
Best movies:
Cyrano z Bergeracu (1986) (theatrical recording)
Král Krysa (1979) (theatrical recording)
Mnoho povyku pro nic (1972) (theatrical recording)
Vladimír Šmeral
Austria-Hungary
Best movies:
Witchhammer (1969)
Larks on a String (1969)
Byl jednou jeden dům (1974) (series)
Ferdinand Krůta
Czechoslovakia
Best movies:
Lucerna (1967) (TV movie)
Larks on a String (1969)
Closely Observed Trains (1966)
František Řehák
Czechoslovakia
Best movies:
Secluded, Near Woods (1976)
Invention for Destruction (1958)
The Snowdrop Festival (1983)
Leoš Suchařípa
Czechoslovakia
Best movies:
Revizor (1971) (theatrical recording)
Jára Cimrman Lying, Sleeping (1983)
Larks on a String (1969)
Vladimír Ptáček
Czechoslovakia
Best movies:
All My Compatriots (1968)
Boys Will Be Boys (1975)
Larks on a String (1969)
Eugen Jegorov
Czechoslovakia
Best movies:
My Sweet Little Village (1985)
Secluded, Near Woods (1976)
Forbidden Dreams (1986)
Naďa Urbánková
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
Best movies:
Secluded, Near Woods (1976)
Larks on a String (1969)
Closely Observed Trains (1966)
Věra Křesadlová
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
Best movies:
Larks on a String (1969)
Intimate Lighting (1965)
The Joke (1968)
Věra Ferbasová
Austria-Hungary
Best movies:
I Dutifully Report (1957)
Joachim, Put It in the Machine (1974)
Today for the Last Time (1958)
Jiřina Štěpničková
Austria-Hungary
Best movies:
Tři na lavičce (1978) (TV movie)
Witchhammer (1969)
Sňatky z rozumu (1968) (series)
Míla Myslíková
Czechoslovakia
Best movies:
Marecek, Pass Me the Pen! (1976)
The Cremator (1968)
My Sweet Little Village (1985)
Tereza Bariová
Best movies:
Larks on a String (1969)
Karel Mareš
Czechoslovakia
Best movies:
Larks on a String (1969)
Case for a Rookie Hangman (1969)
The Party and the Guests (1966)
Ladislav Šimek
Czechoslovakia
Best movies:
Jára Cimrman Lying, Sleeping (1983)
Poslední dopis (1973) (TV movie)
Larks on a String (1969)
Zdeněk Svěrák
Czechoslovakia
Best movies:
Dobytí severního pólu (2006) (theatrical recording)
Záskok (1997) (theatrical recording)
The Conquest of the North Pole (1987) (theatrical recording)