Honour and Glory

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1968

Production year

1968

Premiere

24 January 1969

Runtime

84 min

Director

Hynek Bočan

Category

film

Genre

drama, historical

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Čest a sláva

Czech title

Čest a sláva

English title

Honour and Glory

Summary

In addition to the legendary satire The White Lady (Bílá paní, 1965), Czech filmmakers also found inspiration in the work of Karel Michal in this bitter historical comedy from 1968. Italian film critics gave this extraordinary film the Passinetti Prize in Venice; however, the censors hid it in the notional “normalisation safe”, in the prohibited titles section. Even though the story takes place at the end of the Thirty Years War, it was impossible to overlook obvious references to the political situation of the time. The protagonist and narrator – the poor and resigned knight Rynda of Loučka in the unforgettable rendition by Rudolf Hrušínský – is the prototype of the hesitant hero. He takes into his home a nobleman striving to overthrow the Hapsburgs, however he is unable to muster the courage for open resistance, because above all else, he longs to survive and to be left alone. This bitter testimony about the Czech character was undeservedly forgotten and did not find an audience until 1991.

Synopsis

It is the year 1647 and the war has been raging for almost thirty years. Poor and dilapidated is the stronghold of the knight Václav Rynda of Loučka and so is his clothing. The family property was spent by his father who, after the loss at the battle at the White Mountain, was forced to give up his faith and had to swear submission to the Catholic Church to save his skin. Václav resembles a peasant rather than a nobleman, as he tries to find something to eat for himself and his domestics. One day, a visit comes to the stronghold. The emperor's commissioner Šrandorf and his wife ask for a night's lodging. The guest then reveals to Rynda in private that Šrandorf is not their real name and that in fact they are not even married - Jindřich Donovalský and his companion Kateřina have come in the French king's employ and want to incite a revolt against the Hapsburgs in Bohemia. That very night, a gang of marauders attacks the stronghold and the guest helps the defenders of the stronghold to put them to flight. Donovalský wants to persuade the diligent Rynda to join the resistance and remains as a guest with his company for many months. His false commissioner's letter of safe-conduct saves Rynda in winter from the requisition by the emperor's army. In the meantime, Donovalský's adjutant trains Rynda's subjects in fighting. During the collection of tithes, a parish priest is unfortunately killed and the accident instigates open resistance. Rynda recalls his own roots and stands at the head of the rebellion although the news that the war is over has just arrived.

Film online

Cast

Rudolf Hrušínský

rytíř Václav Rynda z Loučky

Blanka Bohdanová

společnice Kateřina

Karel Höger

Jindřich Donovalský z Bejšic a Oujezda alias císařský komisař František Šrandorf

Iva Janžurová

děvečka Dorota

Josef Kemr

kapitán francouzských fyzilírů Benedikt Hevera

Adolf Minský

děda Maňas

Richard Záhorský

čeledín Kuba

Bohuslav Čáp

sedlák Konšel

Jaromír Hanzlík

důstojník Fendrych Kvart

Hana Kreihanslová

selka Piťhová

Jan Pohan

biskupský rejtar

Jindřich Blažíček

sedlák Jakub I.

Jan Cmíral

sedlák Jakub II.

František Kubíček

čeledín Matěj

Otto Mojžíš

František, Donovalského kočí/Kvartův voják

Emil Rohan

sedlák

Ela Šilarová

selka Beneška

Milica Kolofíková

snacha dědy Maňase

Ferdinand Krůta

hostinský Jouza

Marie Šimberová

služka, Dorotina matka

Karel Anderle

marodér

Emil Beneš

marodér

Čestmír Čivrný

marodér

Zdeněk Houška

marodér

Ivan Chrz

marodér

Josef Kříž

marodér

Petr Lebeda

marodér

František Plecháček

marodér

Ivo Prokop

marodér

Miloslav Průša

marodér

Robert Ritschel

marodér

J. Schuster

marodér

Petr Vinař

marodér

Pavel Vlasák

marodér

L. Zahrádka

marodér

Jaroslav Voigst

marodér

J. Plecháčková

marodérka

Vlasáková

marodérka

Jan Ekl

strážný

Karel Engel

ohořelý mrtvý muž

J. Šafránek

jednonohý mrtvý

Oldřich Pithard

dubl za Rudolfa Hrušínského

Crew and creators

Director

Hynek Bočan

Second Unit Director

Miroslav Kubišta

Assistant Director

Josef Sandr

Based on

Karel Michal (Čest a sláva – román)

Shooting Script

Hynek Bočan

Director of Photography

Jiří Šámal

Second Unit Photography

Zdeněk Prchlík

Camera Operator

Jan Hanzal

Production Designer

Jiří Kotlář, Oldřich Okáč

Set Designer

Viktor Fixl, Josef Calta, Václav Šebek

Costume Designer

Olga Dimitrovová

Film Editor

Zdeněk Stehlík

Assistant Film Editor

Miloslava Vojnová

Sound Designer

Emil Poledník

Production Manager

Jiří Bečka

Unit Production Manager

Josef Hudlička, Olga Mimrová

Unit Production Manager

Jaroslava Pražská

Consultant

Miroslav Toegel, PhDr. Miroslav Mudra

Cooperation

Kateřina Reimanová (klapka), Karel Šebík (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Zdeněk Liška

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Kühnův smíšený sbor

Songs

Bázeň boží je ta tam

Singer Kühnův smíšený sbormužský hlas

Vstaň, duše, vstaň

Singer ženský hlas

Production info

Original Title

Čest a sláva

Czech Title

Čest a sláva

English Title

Honour and Glory

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, historical

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1968

Production Year

1968

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 18 October 1967
technical Screenplay approved 15 December 1967
start of filming 13 January 1968
end of filming 15 July 1968
the first film copy approved 20 November 1968
projection approval 10 December 1968

Premiere

premiere 24 January 1969 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 13 February 1969 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Sevastopol /2 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 1 September 1990 /unsuitable for youths/

Studio

Hostivař

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů (původní 1969 a obnovená 1990)

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

84 min

Original length in metres

2 403 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, German

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech