Death of a Fly

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1976

Production year

1976

Premiere

1 April 1977

Runtime

86 min

Category

film

Genre

psychological

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Smrt mouchy

Czech title

Smrt mouchy

English title

Death of a Fly

Summary

This 1976 psychological study of a young high school student, tinged with an environmental message, is considered to be one of the lesser films from experienced director Karel Kachyňa. Written in collaboration with Jan Otčenášek, the film tells the story of teenager Milan, who compensates for his shyness around girls (especially classmate Magdaléna) by taking photographs. Inspired by class-teacher Votruba, Milan documents the environmental crimes of a local functionary. But Honza has to face a bigger issue than the evil injustices around him – a phobia of flies from which he has suffered since childhood. Self-confident love rival Honza decides to uses this phobia as a weapon against Milan…. The talented actor Luboš Knytl stars in what was his only feature-film role. Jaroslav Satoranský plays a progressive high school teacher.

Synopsis

Milan Hlaváček, a student of the grammar school in the town of Kladno, is secretly in love with his pretty classmate Magdaléna, who is courted by the self-confident Honza. The shy Milan is in anguish and his feelings do not escape the attention of another classmate of his, Alena. Milan is a keen photographer. Apart from inhabitants of the housing estate, his snapshots mostly capture Magdaléna. The teacher Votruba has a lecture on damage to the environment and encourages the students to take notice of such cases and document them. Milan takes photographs of people who wash their cars in the local brook without scruple, among them Sláma, a district official. The boy then exhibits the pictures at school, but Votruba thinks that provocation is no good and removes the snapshots. Magdaléna is interested in Milan's photographs, so she visits Milan at his place, accompanied by Alena and the jealous Honza. From a family film and a sound tape, the three of them learn that Milan has been afraid of flies ever since he was a little boy. Honza takes advantage of this information and, in a confrontation with Milan, ridicules him in front of the others. Honza also steals a compromising photo from Milan's collection and sends it anonymously to Sláma. Votruba then comes into conflict with Sláma and Milan clashes with his father. The boy finally comes to understand that it was one of Honza's nasty tricks and they have a fight. One weekend, there is a car accident near the Hlaváčeks' cottage. Milan saves the life of his friend. On the way to hospital, he overcomes his phobia and kills a fly bothering the injured boy.

Cast

Luboš Knytl

student Milan Hlaváček

Jana Pehrová

studentka Magdaléna Fialková

Miroslava Šafránková

studentka Alena Kazdová

Otakar Brousek ml.

student Honza Látal

Libuše Švormová

Zdena Hlaváčková, Milanova matka

Josef Somr

František Hlaváček, Milanův otec

Jaroslav Satoranský

třídní profesor Ota Votruba

Milena Dvorská

sousedka Kodetová

Petr Haničinec

okresní funkcionář Sláma

Miroslav Moravec

Josef Kotas

Jiří Lábus

strážmistr VB

Jiří Ornest

strážmistr VB

Martin Stropnický

student Berger

Hana Kazdová

studentka Jarmila

Jiří Schwarz

student Pintr

Radka Kratochvílová

studentka

Ljuba Krbová

studentka

Petr Herold

student

Jiří Kubín

student

Barbora Poláčková

studentka

Martin Švec

student

Eva Trunečková

sousedka Meruňková

Zdeněk Skalický

řidič barkasu Barták

Václav Kaňkovský

děda hlídač

Věra Petáková

profesorka Maruška

Marta Richterová

chatařka Bendová

Marie Hübschová

Váchová, žena s kufrem

František Kroutil

motocyklista Franta Ondrák

Tomáš Juřička

Jarda, Slámův syn

Marie Sýkorová

tanečnice

Markéta Fišerová

dívka hrající na flétnu

Dubbing

Richard Honzovič

hlas popisující nehodu

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Václav Gajer

Assistant Director

Stanislava Hutková

Screenstory

Pavel Blumenfeld

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Kučera

Second Unit Photography

Richard Valenta

Camera Operator

Oldřich Kovář

Production Designer

Karel Vacek

Assistent Production Designer

Ludvík Široký

Set Designer

Ivan Ernyei, Josef Dvořák

Costume Designer

Irena Greifová

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek

Assistant Film Editor

Magda Hájková, Helena Lehovcová

Sound Designer

Miloslav Hůrka

Production Manager

Josef Ouzký

Unit Production Manager

Růžena Hulínská, Miroslav Smrček

Unit Production Manager

Alexandr Šubrt

Cooperation

Bohumila Vrkočová (klapka), Zdeněk Dukát (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Zdeněk Liška

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Songs

Magdaléno, Magdaléno

Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Smrt mouchy

Czech Title

Smrt mouchy

English Title

Death of a Fly

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

psychological

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1976

Production Year

1976

Premiere

premiere 1 April 1977 /suitable for youths/

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Vladimíra Kaliny, Vladimír Kalina (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

86 min

Original length in metres

2 700 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66

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: 15. festival českých a slovenských filmů Bratislava

1977
Bratislava / Czechoslovakia
Jaroslav Kučera