The Chain

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1981

Production year

1980—1981

Premiere

20 November 1981

Runtime

86 min

Category

film

Genre

crime, thriller

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Řetěz

Czech title

Řetěz

English title

The Chain

Summary

Director Jiří Svoboda and screenwriter Václav Šašek enjoyed collaborations that delivered historical drama Svět nic neví (The World Knows Nothing, 1987) and psychological thriller Prokletí domu Hajnů (The Curse of the Hajns’ House, 1988), based on the work of Jaroslav Havlíček. However, they also co-produced this 1981 drama about a woman who finds herself at odds with a gang of criminals. The husband of nurse Marta Kavanová is among a group of men who rob a Prague post office. After his unexpected death, accomplices Dolfi and Bureš demand loot from the unsuspecting widow… In a characteristic situation for the crime genre, the young woman finds those confronting her are debauched and capable of anything. The plot is based on the intense escalation of tension within a confined space, something of a trademark when it comes to the narration of director Svoboda. Zora Ulla Keslerová stars in the main role, while Jiří Klepl and Pavel Nový play the husband’s partners in crime.

Synopsis

A small Prague post office is robbed. Three thieves stole a huge amount of money but they shot a young woman post office clerk dead and injured a policeman. The attractive hospital nurse Marta Kavanová cheats on her elderly husband, having a love affair with the young physician Milan. She does not plan to divorce because Kavan provides for her high standard of living, and she does not care where his money comes from. She thus has no idea that her husband was one of the Prague post office thieves. Kavan is run down by a car and dies as a result of fatal injuries. His companions Dolfi and Bareš learn about his death. It was Kavan who hid the stolen money, and the two men want to find it. They first search his cottage but do not find anything, then focusing on his flat and Marta. But Marta cannot give them the money; she knows nothing. Dolfi and Bareš do not believe her and drastically try to force some information out of her. Marta realizes that nothing can stop the robbers and her life is at stake. A very young photographer Ivan from Marta's neighbourhood tries to save her but Dolfi mercilessly crushes his skull. Bareš eventually grasps that Marta does not know anything about the loot. The two gangsters have a fight in which Dolfi stabs Bareš to death. Dolfi climbs onto a roof from where he wants to get to the Kavans' flat. The exhausted Marta receives a package from one of Kavan's colleagues at her door. It contains the stolen money. Marta fights for it with Dolfi. He is, however, already being followed by Detective Zika who is investigating the post office robbery and has realized from the context where to search for the culprit. He appears at Marta's flat just in time - Dolfi knocked her down, put the gas on and wanted to leave with the loot. He tries to escape from the police over the roofs but tumbles down and dies. The gas explodes and an ambulance takes the nearly poisoned and injured Marta to hospital.

Film online

Cast

Zora Ulla Keslerová

Voice by Jana Andresíková
zdravotní sestra Marta Kavanová

Miroslav Zounar

technik Petr Kavan zvaný Frajer, Martin muž

Jiří Klepl

Voice by Jan Teplý
lupič Karel Bareš

Pavel Nový

lupič Dolfi

Jan Vyšín

poručík VB Zika

Ondřej Pavelka

fotograf Ivan

Karel Kovář

lékař Milan Kučera, Martin milenec

Bohumil Vávra

soused Pavlovský

Eugen Jegorov

Voice by Zdeněk Svěrák
Mikeš, Kavanův kolega

Jindřich Trylč

Voice by Milan Mach
kapitán VB Hora

Valentina Thielová

majitelka obrazu Jeřábková

Václav Javůrek

Voice by Mirko Musil
vedoucí pošty

Václav Kaňkovský

hráč kulečníku Mrázek

Alena Karešová

vrchní sestra

Jaromír Kučera

lékař MUDr. Sýkora

Vladimír Lemon

Voice by Jiří Pleskot
lékař resuscitačního oddělení

Jiří Škoda

lékař MUDr. Charouz

Josef Fousek

Voice by Oldřich Vlach
Kavanův kamarád

Albína Biskupová

zdravotní sestra

Jana Hermachová

Suchánková

Hana Burešová

Alena Kučerová

Josef Šebek

Voice by Miroslav Nohýnek
policejní informátor Karlíček

Monika Marková

poštovní úřednice Eva

Vladimír Pavelka

chodec s kufrem

Karel Fridrich

Voice by Miloslav Štibich
hráč kulečníku Šedivý

Jaroslav Tomsa

kriminalista

Milena Hodačová

žena

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Zdeněk Flídr

Assistant Director

Josef Jarolímek

Continuity

Irena Klausová

Screenstory

Václav Šašek

Screenplay

Václav Šašek

Shooting Script

Jiří Svoboda

Director of Photography

Jaromír Šofr

Second Unit Photography

Karel Hejsek

Camera Operator

Jiří Zavřel

Production Designer

Milan Nejedlý

Assistent Production Designer

Boris Moravec ml.

Set Designer

Ivo Černý, Miloš Osvald, Jiří Rulík

Costume Designer

Jana Břežková

Film Editor

Josef Valušiak

Assistant Film Editor

Jana Šimonová

Sound Designer

Pavel Jelínek

Production Manager

Miloš Stejskal

Unit Production Manager

Pavel Mangl, Milan Brabec

Unit Production Manager

Luboš Kozák

Consultant

Miroslav Kučera, JUDr. Petr Šnajdr, Jaroslav Tomsa

Cooperation

Jitka Tošilová (klapka), Jaroslav Trousil (fotograf), Richard Němčok

Music

Music Composed by

Vadim Petrov

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Production info

Original Title

Řetěz

Czech Title

Řetěz

English Title

The Chain

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

crime, thriller

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1981

Production Year

1980—1981

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 16 September 1980
technical Screenplay approved 28 November 1980
start of filming 12 December 1980
end of filming 3 June 1981
projection approval 29 June 1981

Premiere

premiere 20 November 1981 /unsuitable for youths/

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Karla Valtery, Karel Valtera (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

86 min

Original length in metres

2 454 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