Whose Run It Is

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1979

Production year

1979

Premiere

5 September 1980

Runtime

97 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, psychological

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Na koho to slovo padne...

Czech title

Na koho to slovo padne...

English title

Whose Run It Is

Working title

Mrakodrap

Summary

Politically engaged filmmaking in the 1970s and 80s often addressed working environment themes. One such typical example of the era is this 1980 drama made by director Antonín Kachlík, produced with more than a nod to the socialist “Building a better future” school of thought. The protagonist, foreman František Pelant (nicknamed “Rámus” (“Hullaballoo”) and played by Jiří Žák), suffers a heart attack when the stress of work at the building site of a new high-rise concrete panel housing estate gets the better of him. Even from his hospital bed, Pelant tries to go on solving problems at the site caused by a factory supplying faulty panels and the thieving project management. However, young crane operator Hedvika (Marta Malá) and communist party officials stand up for this virtuous worker... Neither the undramatic take on the topic nor Kachlík’s directing make this film more convincing. Some credit can go to the casting of the main characters when it comes to what makes the motion picture a bit more attractive to viewers. Svatopluk Beneš, playing the part of a cheated old architect, puts in his customarily good performance.

Synopsis

An ambulance is taking a patient from a large half-built housing estate to the resuscitation unit. Foreman František Pelant has had a heart attack right on the work site. The young crane-operator Hedvika, until recently his girlfriend, carries on František's efforts to deal with irregularities in the running of the building works and in the factory supplying the prefabricated components. She persuades the veteran communist Zábrana to help her and together they initiate negotiations in the highest organs of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. František makes friends with another patient at the hospital, the architect Fišer who just happens to be the man who designed the experiment that the foreman has been putting into practice. The architect is already an old man, whose young wife cheats on him and rarely comes to visit. Pelant, on the other hand, refuses Hedvika's visits to the hospital. He describes to Fišer his struggles with the factory that has been supplying faulty prefab panels, and with several executives from his own company who have been making a fortune on co-operative housing projects. The directors of the two companies didn't like his initiatives and tried to accuse him of overstepping regulations. František had demonstratively proffered his resignation, and when to his surprise it was accepted, he had collapsed. Both Hedvika and the Communist Party officials continue with their efforts to resolve matters. Pelant is cleared of the accusations and when he arrives on site as convalescent, the workers welcome him with cheers. Zábrana informs him that he can return to his duties. Pelant regretfully refuses – the doctor has forbidden him to go back to work.

Cast

Jiří Žák

stavař Franta Pelant zvaný Rámus

Marta Malá

jeřábnice Hedvika

Jiří Mikota

zedník Alois Zábrana zvaný Dědek

Miroslav Nohýnek

architekt Petr Soukup

Svatopluk Beneš

architekt Fišer

Marie Spurná

Ivanka, Fišerova manželka

Oldřich Vykypěl

předseda CZV KSČ Soukup, Petrův otec

Vlastimil Čaněk

mistr Hodač

Rudolf Fleischer

hlavní inženýr

Adolf Filip

ředitel Stavomontu

Václav Král

ředitel Prefy

Milan Štrich

náměstek ředitele Prefy

Netta Deborská

Soukupová, žena předsedy CZV KSČ

Ladislav Šimek

okresní tajemník pro výstavbu Rudo

Miroslav Rous

tajemník OV KSČ Oldřich

Pavel Rubeš

stavbyvedoucí Kolátor

Karel Koloušek

krajský tajemník KSČ Josef

Bohuš Pastorek

předseda Okresní kontrolní a revizní komise Bohouš

Josef Janoušek (2)

Dušan

Oldřich Velen

vedoucí expedice v Prefě

Jana Ebertová

vrchní sestra

Pavel Spálený

stavbyvedoucí

Bohuslav Ličman

lékař v nemocnici

Vladimír Foukal

řidič trajleru

Jiří Růžička st.

Karel, zaměstnanec Prefy

Mnislav Hofmann

strážný v Prefě

Dagmar Čárová

sekretářka okresního tajemníka

Josef Maršík

Hodačův kamarád

Luboš Bíža

obkladač

Ronald Heller

obkladač

Pavel Robin

obkladač

Zuzana Chorvátová

sekretářka hlavního inženýra

Marta Richterová

Pilná, zapisovatelka CZV KSČ

Jana Robenková

Nová, členka CZV KSČ

Jaroslav Toms

obkladač

Marta Srovnalová

světlovlasá dělnice na stavbě

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Jiří Růžička st.

Assistant Director

Zdeněk Tyc, Jarmila Čajová

Shooting Script

Antonín Kachlík

Dramaturg

Zdeněk Dufek

Director of Photography

Andrej Barla

Second Unit Photography

Pavel Dosoudil

Camera Operator

Jiří Knotek

Production Designer

Bohumil Pokorný

Assistent Production Designer

Olga Rosenfelderová

Costume Designer

Jan Kropáček

Assistant Film Editor

Anna Mejtská

Sound Designer

Jiří Moudrý

Production Manager

Petr Čapek

Unit Production Manager

Evelyna Vrbová, Dana Dudová

Unit Production Manager

Miloš Zajdl, Jiří Potsch

Consultant

Josef Doležal (stavitel), Karel Vorel

Cooperation

Janka Netíková (klapka), Alena Červená (fotografka), Pozemní stavby Pardubice n. p.

Music

Music Composed by

Oldřich Flosman

Music Performed by

Kociánovo kvarteto, FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Production info

Original Title

Na koho to slovo padne...

Czech Title

Na koho to slovo padne...

English Title

Whose Run It Is

Working Title

Mrakodrap

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, psychological

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1979

Production Year

1979

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 11 December 1978
start of filming 11 June 1979
technical Screenplay approved 12 July 1979
end of filming 18 December 1979
projection approval 22 December 1979

Premiere

premiere 5 September 1980 /suitable for youths/

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

97 min

Original length in metres

2 775 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

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: 19. festival českých a slovenských filmů Kladno

1981
Kladno / Czechoslovakia
Antonín Kachlík