The Cartridge

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1963

Production year

1963

Runtime

18 min

Director

Ivo Toman

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionshort

Original title

Náboj

Czech title

Náboj

English title

The Cartridge

Synopsis

Soldier Petr Kobera receives a letter from his girlfriend ending their relationship. Petr wants to leave for home immediately. The lieutenant cannot give him a leave-pass as he has sentry duty coming up. Moreover, Petr is to appear on stage as one of the members of the army ensemble on Sunday. The desperate soldier threatens to commit suicide. The lieutenant promises to give him the leave-pass provided he finds a substitute for himself. But none of Peter's friends is willing to do this favour for him. Petr spots one of the soldiers hiding a live cartridge in a mattress to improve his results in target shooting and steals it. He then joins the soldiers on patrol. Alone in the forest, he loads the gun and prepares to commit suicide as intended. The robbed soldier in the meantime has found out that the live cartridge is missing. Upon finding Petr's torn-up letter, he understands the tragedy that may happen, and sets off to the forest on a borrowed scooter. Petr's preparations are disturbed by a man who, over the fence, asks him to help unload his car. Petr refuses to help and right at that moment, there is a series of shots. Petr changes his mind and instead of shooting himself shoots the reservoir of drinking water. The soldier who was to stop him watches with wonder how Petr, in his uniform, showers in the splashes of water coming out of the barrel, laughing his head off.

Cast

Milan Kos

vojín Petr Kobera

Karel Hábl

poručík

Zdeněk Dušek

vojín Ivan

Miloslav Šimek

vojín Hudeček

Olga Schoberová

dívka na pouti

Crew and creators

Director

Ivo Toman

Second Unit Director

František Brychta

Director of Photography

Jiří Ployhar

Camera Operator

Petr Mareš, Jiří Krob

Production Designer

Milan Nejedlý

Make-Up Artist

Petr Jílovec

Film Editor

Jiří Sobotka

Assistant Film Editor

Jiřina Skalská

Sound Designer

Karel Cajthaml

Production Manager

Erik Hubáček

Unit Production Manager

Karel Vejřík, Karel Zloch

Unit Production Manager

Jaroslava Zábranská

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Šust

Production info

Original Title

Náboj

Czech Title

Náboj

English Title

The Cartridge

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1963

Production Year

1963

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Technical info

Duration typology

short film

Duration in minutes

18 min

Original length in metres

503 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech