The Raid

Country

Czechoslovakia, Poland

Copyright

1984

Production year

1984

Premiere

1 January 1986

Runtime

84 min

Category

film

Genre

crime

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Zátah

Czech title

Zátah

English title

The Raid

Co-production title

List gończy

Summary

This 1984 psychological crime drama charts the relationship between a recently escaped prisoner and his young associate. Director Stanislav Strnad helmed this Czech-Polish coproduction, co-writing the script with Jan Novotný. Eighteen-year-old small-time thief Pavel chances upon habitual offender Volf, who has just escaped from prison. Volf forces Pavel to become a partner in crime, needing an accomplice to help cross the border into Poland, from where he hopes to continue on to Sweden. However, the vigilant police on both sides of the border are hot on the pair’s heels… For actor Ladislav Potměšil, the role of Volf represented a rare chance at a “serious” role. Pavel is played by the somewhat forgotten actor Tomáš Vacek. Popular actors Rudolf Jelínek and Jiří Kodet appear as two plainclothes detectives chasing the outlaws.

Synopsis

Pavel Kunz, who just turned eighteen, lives on robbing cottages and on minor thefts. He was hitherto only punished by terms in youth reformatory homes due to his low age. The recidivist Karel Volf is an experienced and unscrupulous robber and a brute. He served an eight-year sentence and, on his escape, severely wounds a doorkeeper in the nearby factory, seizing his weapon. Chance brings Kunz and Volf together in one of the cottages. The older man forces the youngster to emigrate with him, otherwise threatening to violate his girlfriend Magda - the only person who Pavel cares for and who has no idea about his actions. Volf looks up Magda's address and looks in Pavel's materials. They get American dollars for their journey from an underhand moneychanger, paying him by money from yet another theft, and Volf beats the man to oblivion for his attempt to blackmail them. The detectives from Brno and Prague carefully collect leads and testimonies. The duo is helped by Pavel's capability to orientate in an unknown environment after a map as well as by his apparently higher intelligence. But Volf always prevents him from surrendering to the police and moreover shoots the detective, Major Janda, while escaping from a police encirclement in a forest. The runaways get to Poland and try to continue to Sweden near the town of Gdańsk with the help of the local underworld. They are, however, deceived by the guide and again end up on a Polish shore after a night sailing on the sea. They are already expected by the Polish militia which cooperates with the Czech investigators. Volf takes a young girl as a hostage but Pavel seizes her and jumps into the sea with her, thus saving her life. Volf is subsequently shot dead by the intervening policemen.

Cast

Ladislav Potměšil

recidivista Karel Volf

Tomáš Vacek

zloděj Pavel Kunz

Rudolf Jelínek

poručík VB Rudolf Morávek

Jiří Kodet

kapitán VB Vaněk

Miroslav Zounar

major VB Jaroslav Janda

Jan Faltýnek

nadporučík VB Aleš Doubrava

Svatopluk Matyáš

major VB Jiří Veverka

Stanisław Michalski

major Jerzy Machulski

Ludwik Benoit

číšník Okoun

Zdeněk Buchvaldek

podplukovník VB Vágner

Josef Kubíček

Voice by Jiří Zahajský
vekslák František Klouzal zvaný Moucha

Jana Švandová

Králová, Klouzalova milenka

Jerzy Kryszak

kapitán Jacek Orlański

Miriam Chytilová

Magda, Pavlova dívka

Henryk Talar

lodník Marek Nowak

Roman Hájek

poručík VB

Blažena Holišová

pokladní Rýdlová

Vladimír Krška

majitel chaty Holeček

Dalimil Klapka

Rudla Vácha

Karel Hábl

homosexuál, Váchův přítel

Libuše Švormová

Jandova žena

Karel Vochoč

karbaník Cibulka

Petr Svoboda

poručík VB Hájek

Ryszard Kotys

polský recepční

Jerzy Lapiński

holohlavý

Radka Mayerová

černovláska, Morávkova přítelkyně

Svatopluk Schuller

Petr, Jandův syn

Lucianna Krecarová

Renata Martínková, Petrova dívka

Robert Vrchota

Martínek, Renatin otec

Vladimír Míka

nadstrážmistr Douša

Jan Schánilec

major VB Havlíček

Mirko Musil

venkovan Kuna

Lena Birková

Božka, Kunova žena

Jan Cmíral

náměstek Nohýnek

Dana Homolová

A. Homolová, Volfova sestra

Jaromír Kučera

číšník Kučera

Arnošt Böhm

kriminalista

Karel Chromík

velitel stráží

Zdeněk Srstka

příslušník VB

Karel Engel

milenec Homolové

Maria Probosz

blondýnka

Viktor Riebauer

opilec

Jaromír Vaverka

karbaník

Stefan Wardeński

Wiesław Nowosielski

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Viktor Walter, Andrzej Reiter

Assistant Director

Petr Koliha

Shooting Script

Stanislav Strnad

Dramaturg

Pavel Hajný

Director of Photography

Josef Pávek

Second Unit Photography

Karel Hejsek

Camera Operator

Václav Zajíček

Assistent Production Designer

Michal Krška

Set Designer

Jan Hodný, Bohumil Kadlec, Jan Klíma

Costume Designer

Vojtěch Kolařík

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek

Assistant Film Editor

Magda Hájková

Production Manager

Přemysl Pražský, Urszula Orczykowska

Unit Production Manager

Martina Krýslová, Jacek Gwizdała, Zygmunt Wójcik, Bohdan Kysil

Unit Production Manager

Bolesław Bednarski, Bożęna Gołebiowska, Miloš Matula

Consultant

kpt. JUDr. Zdeněk Chodora, Sylwester Kończyk, Witold Zawadzki

Cooperation

Hana Brajerová (klapka), Zdeněk Vávra (fotograf), Jaromír Komárek (fotograf), Jacek Stala, Jacek Turewicz

Music

Music Composed by

Marek Biliński

Music Performed by

Marek Biliński

Songs

Štěstí na rozcestí

Song Composer Karel Vacek

Poslední korunu mám

Song Composer Karel Vacek

Production info

Original Title

Zátah

Czech Title

Zátah

English Title

The Raid

Co-production Title

List gończy

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

crime

Origin country

Czechoslovakia, Poland

Copyright

1984

Production Year

1984

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 4 January 1984
technical Screenplay approved 29 June 1984
start of filming 19 July 1984
end of filming 17 December 1984
projection approval 3 January 1985
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1991

Premiere

premiere 1 January 1986 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Josef Císař (vedoucí 2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny), Zespól Filmowy Kadr (PRF Zespoły Filmowe), Jerzy Kawalerowicz (vedoucí Zespól Filmowy Kadr)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

84 min

Original length in metres

2 412 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, Polish

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech