Rough Life at Planina
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1979Production year
1979Premiere
2 May 1980Runtime
88 minDirector
Jaroslav SoukupCategory
filmGenre
dramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Drsná PlaninaCzech title
Drsná PlaninaEnglish title
Rough Life at PlaninaWorking title
Stav ohroženíSummary
After making an anthology film about the work of Czechoslovak border guards called Boty plné vody (Boots Full of Water, 1976) young director Jaroslav Soukup embarked on his feature film debut with Drsná Planina (Rough Life at Planina, 1979). Once again, Soukup returns to the short story format of author Rudolf Kalčík. The mandated pro-regime subject matter benefits from the director’s decision to enrich this tale with a distinctive, stylised point-of-view. The story again deals with South Bohemian border patrols stationed along the Iron Curtain, in this case taking place from 1946-1949. An almost documentary-like realness is created by Soukup in the movie. Instead of fearless and courageous heroes, convinced that they are defending the country’s borders against the dangerous enemy in the West, we are offered characters primarily battling with the frontiers of their own life opportunities amidst the unforgiving natural environment and a tough era filled with despair. The performances of the three leading actors, Jiří Bartoška, Ivan Vyskočil and Ladislav Potměšil, add to the authenticity of the work.
Synopsis
July 1946. In the sparsely populated village Planina close to the Czechoslovak border, Vršecký, Morávek and Vejvoda, the first three members of the Flying Unit of the National Security Corps, are beginning their service. They have arrested a man suspected of theft and during the prisoner's transfer Morávek meets Martina, daughter of the forester Bayer. Other men join the frontier guard regiment. The young couple's budding relationship ends tragically when Martina and her mother are both killed one night. Crushed by their death, Bayer leaves Planina for good, but the devastated Morávek must remain on his post. Everybody tries to help him, although they all have worries of their own. Vejvoda moves his wife from the interior to Planina. Corporal Karlíček, the compulsory regiment cook, is thrown into a cold mountain stream for his "products". Vršecký and Morávek are ordered to secure a safe crossing of the German border for an agent called Strejda (Gaffer). May 1947. During the arrest of a saboteur, a member of the guards is treacherously killed. Vršecký captures two criminals and kills the third one. February 1948. A dance party is interrupted by an order to the members of the FlyingUnit of the National Security Corps to come to Prague immediately to support the activities of the Communist Party. During these historic days, Morávek is guarding the highway. He stops a car that Strejda is driving. Morávek recognises Strejda but asks the driver to come to the station regardless. Strejda appears to be complying but then shoots at Morávek wounding him seriously, and escapes from the scene of the crime. While the new government is taking over power in the country, the young frontier guard is dying. The regiment commander Pavlík and his good-looking wife are imprisoned when it is confirmed that they have helped defectors cross the border in return for money. Vršecký becomes the new commander. October 1949. Vršecký with the dog Rex comes across a saboteur coming from Germany and kills him in the ensuing shoot-out. The enemy he has killed is the mysterious Strejda, enemy agent and Morávek's murderer! The days are passing by. Vejvoda gets transferred on his request and goes to join his wife, who has returned to the interior. Vršecký gazes with pride on the school children and the village bursting with life.
Photos
Cast
Jiří Bartoška
četař Láďa Vršecký
Ivan Vyskočil
desátník Ruda Morávek
Ladislav Potměšil
desátník Standa Vejvoda
Zdeněk Maryška
četař Pelák
Marcel Vašinka
desátník Albrecht
Jan Řeřicha
desátník Štochl
Jiří Lábus
desátník Karlíček, kuchař
Josef Nechutný
desátník Čížek
Jan Kraus
desátník Augusta
Miroslav Zounar
štábní strážmistr Pavlík
Karel Hlušička
zpravodajský pracovník zvaný Strejda
Zdeněk Kutil
praporčík Havelka, velitel
Jiří Tomek
předseda správní komise Kindl
Zuzana Geislerová
Věra, Vejvodova žena
Jana Gýrová
Pavlíkova žena
Jaroslav Rozsíval
vrchní strážmistr Sobota
Dušan Blaškovič
polesný Bayer
Zlata Adamovská
Martina, Bayerova dcera
Karel Šebesta
poručík SNB Bičovský
Ferdinand Krůta
osídlenec Lipár
Bohumil Vávra
osídlenec Vondráček
Pavla Maršálková
Vondráčkova žena
Dáša Neblechová
Bayerova žena
Tomáš Sedláček
četař Kopřiva
Petr Svárovský
Voice by Petr Svojtka
svobodník Bárta
Pavel Trávníček
desátník Šíma
Rostislav Kuba
četař Koudelka
Zdeněk Mucha
četař Majer
Jiří Havel
četař Dušek
Karel Chromík
terorista Hans
Jaroslav Konečný
polesný Hakl
Svatopluk Skládal
řidič mlékárenského vozu
Bohuslav Ličman
terorista Werner
Jaroslav Mareš
starší zlatokop
Karel Knechtl
mladší zlatokop
Jiří Samek
kriminalista nadporučík Bureš
Antonín Procházka
mladší kopečkář
Josef Loučím
příslušník německé pohraniční policie
Ivan Gübel
vyzývavý mladík
Svatopluk Říčánek
kopečkář s kufrem
Vladimír Novotný
osídlenec Ondra, Lipárův bratr
Lena Birková
Morávkova matka
Dalibor Fiksa
starší kopečkář
Kamil Prachař
kopečkář
František Skřípek
četař
Karel Texel
příslušník STB
Jiří Kalaš
příslušník STB
Emil Žák
pohraničník
Jaroslav Horák
pohraničník
Vojtěch Hermann
pohraničník
František Přibáň
pohraničník
Mirko Musil
výčepní
Hana Vávrová
číšnice
Václav Tomšovský
fotograf
Antonín Doležal (3)
řidič
Václav Krbec
řidič
Vladimír Kučera (2)
řidič
Jan Beneš (2)
hudebník
Ladislav Brejcha
hudebník
Václav Havlíček
hudebník
Jiljí Jahoda
hudebník
Václav Kopecký
hudebník
Vlastimil Kovářík
hudebník
Vratislav Křivánek
hudebník
Václav Pěč
hudebník
Karel Randák
hudebník
František Vyhnálek
hudebník
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Based on
Rudolf Kalčík (V ruce samopal – kniha)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Josef Dvořák, Oldřich Halaza, Miroslav Matuška, Richard Staněk
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Milan Brabec, Milan Futera, Helena Strnadová, Olga Mimrová
Unit Production Manager
Jiří Bezdíček
Consultant
plk. Jan Kovář, pplk. Josef Thomayer, Zbyšek Svoboda, Jiří Kalaš
Cooperation
Lidmila Eybergerová (klapka), Jiří Kučera (fotograf), J. Bayer
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), skupina Zdeňka Bartáka ml.
Production info
Original Title
Drsná Planina
Czech Title
Drsná Planina
English Title
Rough Life at Planina
Working Title
Stav ohrožení
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1979
Production Year
1979
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 27 December 1977
start of filming 5 January 1979
technical Screenplay approved 8 February 1979
end of filming 29 October 1979
projection approval 30 October 1979
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990
Premiere
premiere 2 May 1980 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Drahoslava Makovičky, Drahoslav Makovička (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
88 min
Original length in metres
2 504 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech, German
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Intertitles languages
Czech
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 18. festival českých a slovenských filmů Košice
1980
Košice / Czechoslovakia
