Lost Years
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1965Production year
1964Premiere
21 May 1965Runtime
95 minDirector
Vladimír ČechCategory
filmGenre
drama, socialTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Úplně vyřízený chlapCzech title
Úplně vyřízený chlapEnglish title
Lost YearsWorking title
PáteřSummary
Vladimír Čech may have been an expert crafter of crime stories, but it is this socially critical 1965 piece that serves as perhaps his most significant filmic accomplishment. Despite not attaining the provocative nature of the book on which it is based – 1955’s Páteř (Backbone) by Ladislav Bublík – it nonetheless testifies to the loosening political climate of mid-1960s Czechoslovakia. The story is told in flashback by Karel (Jaroslav Vízner), who recalls the events of the previous months at the modest burial of his fellow builder colleague Bedřich (František Peterka). In 1953, on an official day of mourning for the death of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, viewers are exposed to the story of one simple man, liquidated by the communist regime. Bedřich has been subject to ongoing political investigations and, unwilling to admit to trumped-up charges of (Nazi-era) collaboration, he commits suicide. The film benefits from convincing performances, including a terrific turn from Oldřich Nový as former barber Carbol.
Synopsis
In a small cemetery, the burial of occasional team-worker Bedřich Nevěřil is held, attended by several of his former colleagues. Pathetic words accompanying the funeral ceremony for the deceased Josif Vissarionovich Stalin come to the cemetery from distant loudspeakers. Karel Kratochvíl, one of the participants of the modest funeral, recalls in his mind the events of the preceding months. Karel used to work as bricklayer, but was class-conscious and the factory director thus appointed him the head of the Department of the Workers' Initiative. In the period of political trials, however, the director was arrested and Kratochvíl paid for it "only" by forced removal to the construction site of the Klement Gottwald New Smelting Works in Kunčice. He was employed in the gang of occasional team-workers, all people who had made a "slip-up." Among them, he found the distinctive and straightforward Bedřich the most likeable. Clerk Růžena Kafková first seemed pleasant to Karel, too, but only until he found her to be an uncompromising and fanatic communist comrade waiting for any detail that might bear witness to treasonous thinking. She hated Bedřich and it thus pleased her when a Doctor Nebeda appeared and, at the Party meeting, claimed that teacher Nevěřil collaborated with the Germans during the occupation. Bedřich tried to defend himself, but in vain. The next day he died, falling into the elevator shaft. Everyone sensed that it was suicide. That very day, it was proved that, during the occupation, he was in fact a brave resistant worker and should have been awarded. However, he was unjustly screened instead and eventually chased down to death.
Photos
Cast
Jaroslav Vízner
brigádník Karel Kratochvíl
Eva Kubešová
úřednice Růžena Kafková
František Peterka
brigádník Bedřich Nevěřil
Jaroslav Vojta
dělník Žerávek
Josef Beyvl
Řešátko, člen ZV KSČ
Miloš Patočka
dělník Polda
Ivan Rajniak
dělník Fero Beno
Andrej Bagar
Voice by Július Pántik
mistr Šafář, předseda ZV KSČ
Oldřich Nový
brigádník Carbol, bývalý zubař
Vladimír Menšík
dělník Lexa Pírko
Otakar Brousek
Švéda, redaktor závodního časopisu
Miloš Nedbal
autojeřábník dr. Nebeda
Miloslav Holub
mistr Kežmar
Libuše Geprtová
skladnice Margit
Konstantin Kocev
bulharský dělník Asen
Josef Langmiler
Sedlář, tajemník závodní organizace KSČ
Evelyna Stryhalová
Anka, Karlova žena
Zdeněk Kryzánek
náborář Kajman
Miloš Willig
stavbyvedoucí
Mojmír Fašung
Jirka, předseda ZO ČSM
Oldřich Velen
Kokeš, člen ZV KSČ
Karel Hlušička
Hanyka, člen ZV KSČ a LM
Miroslav Horák
ředitel
Etela Daniová
Maňa, Ferova žena
Adolf Šmíd
závodní stráž
Gustav Vondráček
brigádník
Zdeněk Braunschläger
strážný
Jaroslav Heyduk
plešatý brigádník
Jaroslav Horký
brigádník
Elena Hálková
hostinská
Jiří Havel
člen ČSM
Václav Švec
brigádník v hospodě
Eva Přikrylová
svačinářka Máňa
Mária Kendrovská
Zoja, členka ČSM
Karel Brynda
Honza
Jela Bučková
Jarča
Josef Bárta
Benův švagr
Věra Ferbasová
prostitutka
Marcela Sedláčková
prostitutka
Milena Geislerová
blondýna
Hana Grissová
dělnice
Ladislav Knížátko
strážný
Anna Kratochvílová
šatnářka
Dagmar Zikánová
žena
Václav Podhorský
opilec
Zdeněk Skalický
opilec
Ludmila Tikovská
osamělá žena v restauraci
Josef Šulc
mládenec
Bohuš Pastorek
mládenec
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Based on
Ladislav Bublík (Páteř – novela)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Vladimír Zábranský
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
J. Hlinovský, Josef Pavlík, Karel Průcha
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Pavel Jelínek, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Otakar Jiříček, Jan Šuster
Cooperation
Jana Linhartová (klapka), Jaroslav Trousil (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
Pochod veselých dětí
Song Composer Isaak Dunajevskij
Writer of Lyrics Vasilij Lebeděv-Kumač
Singer sbor
Komandir, geroj, geroj Čapajev
Singer sbor
Maryška, pusu daj
Singer sbor
Jak mé srdce zemdlévalo
Singer Jaroslav Vojta
Půjdem spolu do Betléma
Singer sbor
Narodil se Kristus pán
Song Composer anonym /15. století/
Writer of Lyrics Jan Franus
Singer sbor
Škoda lásky
Song Composer Jaromír Vejvoda
Zpěv svobody /To jsem já, svoboda mladá/
Song Composer Jan Seidel
Writer of Lyrics Josef Hora
Singer sbor
Pochod padlých revolucionářů
Production info
Original Title
Úplně vyřízený chlap
Czech Title
Úplně vyřízený chlap
English Title
Lost Years
Working Title
Páteř
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama, social
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1965
Production Year
1964
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 18 December 1963
technical Screenplay approved 22 April 1964
start of filming 3 June 1964
end of filming 27 November 1964
projection approval 12 February 1965
Premiere
premiere 21 May 1965 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 4 June 1965 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Blaník /2 týdny/, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Šebor – Bor, Vladimír Bor (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jiří Šebor (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
95 min
Original length in metres
2 692 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66, 1:2,35
Colour
black & white
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
