Who Looks for Gold
Typology
featureCzech title
Kdo hledá zlaté dnoRuntime
93Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1974Production year
1974Premiere
20.12.1974Language version
CzechDirector
Jiří MenzelSummary
For many directors of the day, the transition from the 1960s Czechoslovak New Wave to the 1970s “normalisation” era was a very painful one. Director Jiří Menzel may have had an Oscar under his belt for the celebrated Ostře sledované vlaky (Closely Watched Trains, 1966), but his adaptation of Bohumil Hrabal's novel Skřivánci na niti (Skylarks on the String) found itself locked away in a vault by the authorities until after the Velvet Revolution (though produced in 1969 it was only released as late as 1990). Although Menzel was at the peak of his directorial powers, the experience meant he did not return to film directing until 1974 with this doctrinarian “building a better future” film about a young clockmaker (Jan Hrušínský), who after leaving the army only finds his true fulfilment while working on the construction of an electricity plant in Dalešice. Among these “right-minded” workers, the man discovers the real meaning of life and finds the strength to split up from his bourgeoisie-minded girlfriend. Despite lacking Menzel’s personal stamps of playfulness and poeticism, the film can be described as a solid piece of work. Zdeněk Svěrák serves as co-writer alongside Menzel – the pair would cooperate heavily on projects over the ensuing decades.
Synopsis
Láďa Kratochvíl has completed his military service and returns back home to carry on his profession of a watchmaker, looking forward to see his girlfriend - a hairdresser Petra. He plans to propose her a marriage, but they do not have a place to live together, and moreover, his job is not very well paid. That is why he is leaving to Moravia to get a job at a huge construction of a Dalešice dam. He is offered a job as a lorry driver. Láďa is happy about the work, as well as about the wages, but he is missing Petra a lot. His nostalgia will be cured by girlfriend Petra's visite. She comes to see him on Fridays, trying to persuade him to come back to Prague with her. Due to Petra, Láďa neglects his working duties and is transferred to a less attractive job. He tries hard to retrieve the lost credit, helping his co-worker Miky at a complicated repair of a new caterpillar. Doing so, Láďa has lost a lot of spare time, and Miky takes him to Prague to see Petra. Láďa is badly surprised seeing her locked with another man. The love has ended up for him. Láďa doesn't allow to be persuaded into returning to Petra but decides to come back to the construction site. He makes his money by doing a fair job on a new modern excavator entrusted to him by his fellow workers.
Photos
Cast
Jan Hrušínský
hodinář Láďa Kratochvíl, později řidič
Jana Giergielová
kadeřnice Petra
Július Pántik
řidič Miky Polievka
Alois Liškutín
vedoucí autoprovozu Dalibor
František Husák
Pepík Němec
Míla Myslíková
kantýnská Marcela
František Řehák
Petřin otec
Blažena Holišová
Petřina matka
Vlasta Jelínková
babička
Blanka Lormanová
Láďova sestra
Oldřich Vlach
Jirka, Láďův švagr
Otakar Dadák
řidič Jan Vízner, Marcelin muž
Jiří Jurka
řidič Slávek
Leopold Franc
řidič Provazník
Svatopluk Skopal
řidič Král
Oldřich Slavík
stavebník Nováček
Jan Heger-Kučera
Ferda
Jaroslav Rava
řidič Lojza
Karel Bělohradský
řidič Vyskočil
Jiří Koukola
řidič
Alexej Okuněv
zelinář Ivan
Ferdinand Krůta
hodinářský mistr
Jan Řeřicha
nešikovný hodinář později pumpař
Eugen Jegorov
hluchoněmý hodinář
Miroslav Masopust
taxikář Béďa Hustoles
Miloslav Štibich
Hořínek, soused ve vile
Alois Vachek
zákazník zelinářství
Karel Hovorka
řidič Julinek
Mária Nováková
kadeřnice
Taťána Radechovská
zmrzlinářka
Jiří Prokel
redaktor
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Miroslav Balajka, Lilian Havlíčková
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Script Editor
Camera
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Bohumír Schwarzer
Production Designer
Set Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Marie Ryšlinková
Consultant
Ing. J. Žáček, Přemysl Háček, Vladimír Ludka, Jaroslav Rybníček, J. Cejnar
Cooperation
zaměstnanci Vodního díla Dalešice, Jiří Kučera, Jitka Radová, Růžena Hejsková
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Music Conducted by
Štěpán Koníček (FISYO)
Songs
Na naší půdě, Mám ráda žužu, Cikánka, Vklouzlo do nás kouzlo, Kamarád
Songwriter
Angelo Michajlov (Na naší půdě), Bohuslav Ondráček (Mám ráda žužu), Karel Vacek (Cikánka), Angelo Michajlov (Vklouzlo do nás kouzlo), Bill Monroe (Kamarád)
Writer of Lyrics
Zdeněk Svěrák (Na naší půdě), Zdeněk Borovec (Mám ráda žužu), Jiří Štaidl (Vklouzlo do nás kouzlo), Marko Čermák (Kamarád)
Singer
Zdena Adamová (Na naší půdě), Naďa Urbánková (Mám ráda žužu), Jitka Molavcová (Vklouzlo do nás kouzlo), Tomáš Linka (Kamarád)
Production info
Original Title
Kdo hledá zlaté dno
English Title
Who Looks for Gold
Working Title
Frajeři na blátě
Copyright
1974
Production Year
1974
Premiere
20.12.1974
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Technical info
Format
35mm , Betacam
Versions
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 13. filmový festival mladých Trutnov
1975
Trutnov / Czechoslovakia
Július Pántik
Vítěz
Festival: 13. festival českých a slovenských filmů Praha
1975
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jaromír Šofr