The Hour of Life
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1981Production year
1980—1981Premiere
5 June 1981Runtime
103 minDirector
Václav MatějkaCategory
filmGenre
historicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Hodina životaCzech title
Hodina životaEnglish title
The Hour of LifeSummary
In 1977, director Václav Matějka created a contemporary psychological drama Hodina pravdy (The Hour of Truth). The earlier film is in no way related to a similarly titled motion picture he made in 1981. Hodina života (The Hour of Life) is a politicised historical drama inspired by the real-life events of a textile workers’ strike organised in the eastern Bohemian town of Týnec, as seen through the eyes of the noted journalist and critic of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Czech social democrat Josef Hybeš. The film depicts the dramatic events preceding Hybeš’s arrest in 1883 and the subsequent introduction of the demanded 11-hour work shift. The film, made according to the then ideological directives of the Barrandov Film Studios dramaturgy department, is credited for its descriptive representation of historical events and for the emotionally charged performance of Petr Štěpánek in the lead role.
Synopsis
In the end of 1883 in an east-bohemian village, Týnec, anarchists unsuccessfully attempted to shoot a local factory owner. The police used this occasion and arrested workers, mainly activists of the social democratic party. The old factory owner, paralysed by shock, leaves the city and the textile factory is taken over by a young and indebted entrepreneur, Ulrich. Hybeš, the editor of Vienna's Workers Gazette arrives in Týnec, allegedly to pick up revenues from the bookshop owner for workers calendars. In reality, he has to help reorganize the local weakened organization, which prepared a strike to shorten working hours to eleven hours per day. Shortly after his arrival, he meets Ulrich, his friend from early youth, but the flair for friendship is soon gone. Ulrich needs to quickly pay off his debts and forces his employees into slavish work. He sets the police against Hybeš, who have been following him anyway. Hybeš is in hiding and gets help from a worker girl, Andula, who is platonically in love with him. Ulrich ruthlessly gets rid of his employees – those who are ill, old, and also those who want to be organised. He plans to also introduce Sunday shifts. Hybeš skillfully escapes arrest, although a police superintendant Zellner, from Vienna, must be called because of him. Zellner intends to get him before the judge at any price. Workers go on strike, but the factory owner sacks them all and begins recruiting new weavers from the surroundings of the city. But they don't know how to cope with the machines. Money for the support of the strikers is confiscated by the police. Starving workers want to go back to work, but Hybeš knows that Ulrich is under pressure, as he can no longer get money from his creditors. In the end, Hybeš successfully negotiates on behalf of the workers with Ulrich, although he knows he will be arrested. Hybeš is escorted from Týnec to Prague, where he is sentenced according to the notorious Section 255, for secret conniving, to six months imprisonment. The wave of strikes across the entire monarchy forces the monarchy council to enact eleven hour working days in 1884.
Note
The film was made to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party.
Photos
Cast
Petr Štěpánek
redaktor Dělnických listů Josef Hybeš
Miroslav Zounar
dělník Benda
Zdena Hadrbolcová
Bendova žena
Zlata Adamovská
Andula, dcera Bendových
Jiří Štěpnička
továrník Rudolf Ulrich
Rudolf Jelínek
dělník Jan Pácalt
Jana Gýrová
Kateřina, Pácaltova žena
Ivan Vyskočil
dělník Eman Rozhoň
Ladislav Frej
velitel četníků Jellinek
Miloš Nedbal
továrník Weinlich
Ota Sklenčka
bankéř Gottschalk
Pavel Pavlovský
anarchista Dražan
Milan Riehs
prokurista Kolda
Zdeněk Martínek
dělník Jindřich Charvát
Bořivoj Navrátil
vrchní policejní inspektor Zellner
Oldřich Vízner
pokladní Suchý
Libuše Geprtová
prostitutka Běta
Alexej Gsöllhofer
účetní Just
Lenka Kodešová
Žofie, Ulrichova milenka
Bohuslav Ličman
mistr Kadlečák
Dana Bartůňková
dělnice Milada, Rozhoňova milá
Jiří Samek
tajný policista Lukáš
Svatopluk Skopal
železničář Sedlecký
Vladimír Ptáček
mistr Šticha
Marcel Vašinka
tajný policista Rechcígl
Václav Mareš
redaktor Dělnických listů Pecka
Jaroslava Tichá
tkadlena Kudrnová
Vladimír Pospíšil
dělník Kudrna
Nina Popelíková
žena u brány
Jan Kraus
dělník Jaroslav Zajíček
Mnislav Hofmann
mistr Tunkl
Barbora Štěpánová
dělnice Hanousková
Jiří Havel
mistr Cvikl
Bohuslav Čáp
zastavárník Tlamicha
Josef Šebek
anarchista Vondra
Michal Pešek
anarchista Bednář
Raoul Schránil
komorník
Josef Kubíček
hostinský Kubeček
Karel Koloušek
strážmistr Jambor
Michael Hofbauer
Rudolfek
Markéta Fišerová
dělnice Zajíčková
Miroslav Rous
notář
Milan Sandhaus
četník Konopáč
Ondřej Vetchý
dělník Vondra
Rudolf Vodrážka
Rousek
Karel Vochoč
knihkupec Rejl
Lukáš Hraběta
Jirka
Hana Buštíková
zpěvačka
Miriam Hrušková
zpěvačka
Václav Kotva
stávkokaz
Miloš Vavruška
stávkokaz
Vítězslav Jirsák
průvodčí
Iva Bittová
bardáma
Viktor Král
Honzík, Pácaltův syn
Vladimír Kratina
dělník Karel Beran
Vladimír Krátký
Richter
Pavel Linhart
Žídek
Jiří Holeček
trhovec
Eduard Pavlíček
Zumr
Jan Přeučil
barman Werner
Světlana Nálepková
bardáma
Zuzana Schulzová
bardáma
Vladimír Navrátil
sluha
Josef Střecha
sluha
Jiří Sequens ml.
četník
Jiřina Bílá
tkadlena
Ivan Glanc
tkadlec
Karel Hovorka
tkadlec
Zdeněk Kopal
tkadlec
Mirko Musil
tkadlec
Maria Secová
tkadlena
Marta Svobodová-Kolesová
tkadlena
Miloslav Šindler
tkadlec
Miloš Větvička
harmonikář
Eva Asterová
tanečnice
Marcela Černačová
tanečnice
Kateřina Franková
tanečnice
Irena Hahnová
tanečnice
Jitka Havlíčková
tanečnice
Iveta Hubičková
tanečnice
Jan Klár
tanečník
Vladimír Kloubek
tanečník
Kristina Maarová
tanečnice
Alena Majerová
tanečnice
Marie Marmazinská
tanečnice
Ladislav Rajn
tanečník
Jitka Vašutová
tanečnice
Georgi Arsenjev
hudebník
Jiří Eger
hudebník
Ladislav Hájek
hudebník
Karel Janoušek
hudebník
František Kříž
hudebník
Jiří Kubále
hudebník
Rudolf Kubánek
hudebník
Karel Munzar
hudebník
Zdenko Mužík
hudebník
Jiří Opršal
hudebník
Karel Pecián
hudebník
Otto Plocek
hudebník
Josef Pokluda
hudebník
Vlastimil Procházka
hudebník
Slavoj Procházka
hudebník
Miroslav Rošický
hudebník
Ota Semínko
hudebník
Alex Štěrba
hudebník
René Vácha
hudebník
Vladimír Vyskočil
hudebník
Ladislav Gerendáš
host ve vinárně
Vlastimila Vlková
stará žena na dvoře
Stanislava Coufalová
dívka v kupé
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Luděk Svoboda, Jan Dolejš
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Milan Bábik, Jiří Matějka, Eva Slívová, Karel Vaňásek
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Vladimír Petřina, Jiří Farkaš, Iva Hanková, Jiřina Pahlerová
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Stunts
Miroslav Jíra, Vladimír Kaiser, Jiří Kraus, Ladislav Lahoda, Jaroslav Tomsa
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jiří Holeček, Juraj Zach
Unit Production Manager
Consultant
prof. PhDr. Ivan Krempa, DrSc., Bořivoj Indra
Cooperation
Lenka Rambousková (klapka), Jaromír Komárek (fotograf), Jiří Kučera (fotograf)
Music
Songs
Kdo v městě něco znamená
Song Composer Jiří Šust
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Hana Buštíková
Nejstrašnější v žití je
Singer Miriam Hrušková
Marjánko, Marjánko
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Hodina života
Czech Title
Hodina života
English Title
The Hour of Life
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
historical
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1981
Production Year
1980—1981
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 1 October 1980
start of filming 9 October 1980
technical Screenplay approved 10 November 1980
end of filming 8 May 1981
projection approval 11 May 1981
Premiere
premiere 5 June 1981 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miloše Brože, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
103 min
Original length in metres
2 795 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,37
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 20. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ústí nad Labem
1982
Ústí nad Labem / Czechoslovakia
Václav Matějka
Vítěz
Festival: 22. mezinárodní festival neorealistických filmů Avellino
1982
Avellino / Italy
Václav Matějka
Vítěz
Festival: 20. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ústí nad Labem
1982
Ústí nad Labem / Czechoslovakia
Jiří S. Kupka
