The Murderer's Gorge

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1950

Production year

1950

Premiere

23 May 1952

Runtime

93 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Mordová rokle

Czech title

Mordová rokle

English title

The Murderer's Gorge

Synopsis

It is 1942. A Nazi shooting range is located not far from a small Czech village. The wounded resistance fighter Josef is seeking shelter with his friend from the army Vašek Zahrádka. Apart from Vašek, Josef also receives help from the gamekeeper Prokeš who hides him in a cave beneath the Murderers' Gorge and promises to look after him. The German Colonel Konrad von Schiess receives a local estate as a gift from the occupying forces. The villagers, who were at first overjoyed that the shooting range is to be closed down, are then shocked to discover they must move out of their homes. Karel, Prokeš's son, the only collaborator from the village, becomes the administrator of the estate. One night the young men from the village attack him, beat him up and degrade him by shaving off his hair. Josef, who now has a fever, is hidden in the house of the bee-keeper Martin. Karel believes Vašek to be at the root of his degradation and turns him over to the Gestapo. Vašek is arrested and before long his family receives news of his death. The gamekeeper decides to save the village from his son with tragic consequences. He takes Karel to a rickety bridge over Murderers' Gorge and both are killed in a fall. The villagers abandon their homes but hope is on their side. The Red Army defeats the Nazis near Stalingrad and reverses the outcome of the War.

Cast

Otakar Dadák

traktorista Vašek Zahrádka

Jiří Vršťala

adjunkt, později správce Karel Prokeš

Ota Sklenčka

Ondra Bašus

František Kreuzmann

sedlák Václav Vojtěch

Vladimír Hlavatý

chalupník a včelař Martin

Vítězslav Boček

hajný, Karlův otec

Josef Beyvl

švec Josef Hejl

Josef Šidlichovský

ponocný Prskavec

J. O. Martin

starosta

Vladimír Šmeral

odbojář Josef Horák

Miloš Nedbal

obrst Konrad Ritter von Schiess

Dagmar Zikánová

Maňka, Ondrova sestra

Marie Nademlejnská

babička Bašusová

Růžena Lysenková

učitelka Marta

Hermína Vojtová

Zahrádková, Vaškova matka

Josef Chvalina

Slávek, starostův syn

Štěpán Bulejko

velitel gestapa

Věra Matějová

hlasatelka Hejlová

František Miška

vesnický mládenec

Josef Najman

host v hospodě

Josef Oliak

host v hospodě

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Jan Matějovský

Based on

Miloslav Stehlík (Mordová rokle – divadelní hra)

Director of Photography

Karel Degl

Production Designer

Alois Mecera

Set Designer

Josef Calta

Costume Designer

František Lukáš

Make-Up Artist

Miloslav Jandera

Film Editor

Jan Kohout

Sound Designer

Emanuel Formánek

Production Manager

Rudolf Fencl, Jiří Bečka (vedoucí výrobního štábu)

Unit Production Manager

Jiří Pokorný

Cooperation

Karel Ješátko (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

E. F. Burian

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Otakar Pařík)

Songs

Starej Škrunda už je nebožtíkem

Přijde jaro, přijde

Song Composer A. F. Tovačovský
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vlk
Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Mordová rokle

Czech Title

Mordová rokle

English Title

The Murderer's Gorge

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1950

Production Year

1950

Production specifications

start of filming 07/1950
the first film copy approved 12/1950
date of censorship 26 March 1952 (konec povolení k promítání 26. 3. 1957)
withdrawal from distribution 25 October 1960

Premiere

premiere 23 May 1952 /suitable for youths/ (kina Alfa /1 týden/, Armádní /2 týdny/, Sevastopol /3 týdny/, Kyjev /1 týden od 6. 6./ a Oko /1 týden od 6. 6./, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Creative Group

V. tvůrčí kolektiv Vítězslava Kocourka, Vítězslav Kocourek (vedoucí V. tvůrčího kolektivu)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

93 min

Original length in metres

2 657 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech