Old Ironside

Summary

Director Václav Kubásek largely made his way in film with rather average melodramas and comedies. However, after World War II he directed this tragicomedy with qualities that flow from a script by Karel Steklý. The lead character in its narrative – the aged engine driver Matys – hopes that following the liberation of the country he will be able to continue driving his beloved locomotive Líza. Yet both the engine and himself are earmarked for retirement. Luckily, events unfold in a way that allows Matys to prove that neither he nor the engine are write-offs just yet... Although Kubásek’s movie is in tune with films of the socialist-driven “Building a bright new future” spell – that gained such a stranglehold over dramaturgy at Prague's Barrandov film studios following the February 1948 communist putsch – it still remains down-to-earth thanks to the protagonist of the lead role, actor Jaroslav Marvan. In the 1950s, Marvan was cast in numerous similar roles in which an initially grumpy individualist transforms into an enthusiastic supporter of the new regime – notably in the case of Prague ticket inspector Anděl who appears in couple of comedies directed by Bořivoj Zeman.

Synopsis

Note

At the beginning of the second part of the film, the film makers used a double-exposure of shots from the documentary entitled The Way to the Barricades.