This psychological drama was adapted for the screen in 1963 by co-writer-directors Elmar Klos and Ján Kadár. It is based on a 1959 autobiographical novel by Slovak author Ladislav Mňačko. The project overshadowed a previous 1960 Slovak television adaptation directed by Ivan Balaďa, and starring Ivan Mistrík. Set at the end of World War II, young partisan Pavel (Jan Kačer) is seriously injured. While lying in hospital, he thinks back over the preceding months of drama and turmoil. Kačer offers a convincing performance, adding dimensions of self-doubt and guilt to the ostensibly heroic fighter. Much of Pavel’s guilt stems from the fact that a SS unit headed by Nazi officer Engelchen has liquidated the inhabitants of two mountain villages for helping partisan forces. The film explores a number of complex moral questions, not just through the eyes of Pavel, but also through his love interest Marta (Eva Poláková).
At the end of the Second World War the Red Army liberates Zlín, and partisan brigades are coming down from the surrounding mountains and arriving with it. The young partisan Pavel wants to track down the commander of a punitive SS commando, Engelchen, to avenge his fallen comrades and the cruelly slaughtered inhabitants of two small mountain villages. There is an exchange of fire and Pavel is seriously wounded in the back. He finds himself in a hospital in the care of the timid nun Alžběta and a rough but capable doctor. The doctor does not conceal from Pavel the fact that his operation may have lasting complications. For the moment the young man is paralyzed and in fevered dreams and conversations with Alžběta he remembers his wartime experiences. The partisan brigade had been in action in the mountains, hiding first in Leskovec and then in Paseky. They managed to take a young German lieutenant prisoner. Although his soldiers had surrendered, he knew where the partisans were and therefore had to be executed. In Paseky Pavel had meetings with the beautiful Marta, who was living a double life. She worked as a secretary at the German command, but in reality was passing on information to the partisans. The love affair between Marta and Pavel has been distorted by war. The woman comes to bid farewell to Pavel in the hospital. She cannot bear the thought of living out her life as the target of the hatred of people who know nothing about her. Pavel manages to train himself to walk again and leaves the hospital to hunt down the hated Engelchen.
partyzán Pavel Kubec
sekretářka Marta
lékař
řádová sestra Alžběta, ošetřovatelka
sovětský partyzán Dimitrij Astapov
německý poručík
partyzán Ondra
partyzánský velitel Nikolaj
vesničanka Rožková zvaná máma
agent Machů
sedlák Alois Kroupa
četník Bárta
venkovské děvče Jožina
dezertér Willy
udavač Cyril Konečný
partyzán Toník
německý generál
dezertér Martin
Walter
sturmbannführer SS Engelchen
poddůstojník
matka Jožiny
předseda očistné komise Vaněk
Rožek
řidič Vytiska
Alexej
učitel
hostinský
partyzán
partyzán
partyzán
partyzán
partyzán
děvčátko z Pasek
partyzán v německé uniformě
partyzán oznamující vypálení Pasek
německý voják na pancéřovém voze
hlas venkovské ženy
Ladislav Mňačko (Smrt si říká Engelchen – román)
Eva Martincová, Nita Romanečová, Marie Broncová, Libuše Černá
František Černý, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)
Růžena Hulínská, Jiří Mařas
Ctibor Jeřábek
plk. Alois Bíca, Jan Ondrovčák, prof. Vladimír Beneš
Jana Cunderlová (klapka), Josef Vítek (fotograf), Dagmar Rašilovová
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Song Composer Richard Wagner
Writer of Lyrics Richard Wagner
Singer Oto Ševčík
Song Composer Hans Baumann
Writer of Lyrics Hans Baumann
Singer sbor
Song Composer lidová píseň
Writer of Lyrics lidová píseň
Singer sbor
Singer Pavel Bártlsbor
Smrt si říká Engelchen
Smrt si říká Engelchen
Death Is Called Engelchen
film
featuretheatrical distribution
drama, war
Czechoslovakia
1963
1962—1963
literary Screenplay approved 15 March 1961
technical Screenplay approved 28 March 1962
start of filming 3 April 1962
end of filming 6 January 1963
projection approval 23 February 1963
withdrawal from distribution 1 July 1971
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1992
premiere 3 May 1963 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
preview 3 May 1963 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 10 May 1963 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Lucerna /3 týdny/, Radost /½ týdne/, Bystrica /½ týdne od 17. 5./ a Revoluce /1 týden od 24. 5./, Praha)
renewed premiere 1 December 1989 /unsuitable for youths/
Ústřední půjčovna filmů (původní 1963 a obnovená 1989)
Tvůrčí skupina Feix – Brož, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Karel Feix (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
feature film
129 min
3 679 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
black & white
sound
mono
Czech
Czech, German, Slovak, Russian
Czech
Czech
Event: Státní ceny za rok 1963
1964
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Elmar Klos
Event: Státní ceny za rok 1963
1964
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Ján Kadár
Event: 1. soutěž o hudební dílo vytvořené pro film v roce 1963
1964
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Zdeněk Liška
Event: Čestná uznání Československého filmu a Svazu československých divadelních a filmových umělců z produkce roku 1963
1964
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Event: Státní ceny za rok 1963
1964
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Ladislav Mňačko
Festival: 1. mezinárodní festival mírových filmů Los Alamos
1963
Los Alamos / United States of America
Festival: 3. mezinárodní filmový festival Moskva
1963
Moskva / Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Festival: 1. mezinárodní festival mírových filmů Los Alamos
1963
Los Alamos / United States of America
Eva Poláková