This psychological drama made by Jiří Krejčík in 1960 is one of the most acclaimed titles in Czech cinema. It was based on a story of the same name from the collection Němá barikáda (The Silent Barricade). The author of the story inspired by real events was Jan Drda, and he also participated in the screenplay for this impressive work. The film, which eschews the schematic norms of the time, is based on the murder of a 16-year-old Příbram gymnast, Antonín Stočes, who was arrested and executed during the backlash to the Heydrich assassination for speaking out against Nazi despotism. Although the story focuses on the relentlessly heroic gesture of a class teacher (the Latin scholar Málek, brilliantly played by František Smolík) toward three arrested students, it also finds room for the attitudes of the other members of small-town society. Krejčík’s sparingly conceived masterpiece is therefore not an ode to an idealised Czech character or even a homage to classic moral values, but an implacable study of the conscience of a nation, which historically only rarely showed unity in the fight against the enemy.
It's June 1942. The Acting Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia Heydrich is assassinated and the Nazis terrorize the people in the Protectorate. The secondary school 6th grade students in the small town pay no attention to politics, the graduation exams are much more important to them. The Gestapo man Wolf orders that a humorous graduation tableau be taken out of the shop window of the local bookshop. A newspapers mourning the assassination is published. The 6th grade student Ryšánek paints a moustache on the photograph of Heydrich and his friends in the class are laughing. But Havelka warns them about the danger of their provocation and they throw away the newspaper. Jana Skálová asks Ryšánek, a talented friend from her class, to help her with her Latin. A fragile love afair starts between the two young people. The son of the local collaborator Zajíček doesn't graduate because of his poor marks. In revenge, he denounces his three classmates Ryšánek, Havelka and Moučka to the Gestapo, giving them the proof, the newspaper covered with drawing. The 6th grade class teacher, Málek, is an old man living in the world of the Antique. But the arrest of his three pupils disturbs him deeply and the teacher bravely intervenes for them with the local Gestapo commander. Despite the promises of the Nazi officer, the three boys are executed for their "approval of the assassination". Málek should condemn the act of his pupils. Instead, he calls their execution a murder in front of the whole class. The pupils stand up at their desks in sympathy with the teacher's attitude.
třídní profesor Málek, klasický filolog
studentka Jana Skálová
student Vlastimil Ryšánek
student František Havelka
student Karel Moučka
student Honza Horák
profesor Vondráček
profesor Richter, němčinář
profesorka gymnázia
profesor gymnázia
profesor Václav Vandas, češtinář
ředitel gymnázia
pradlena Ryšánková, Vlastimilova matka
advokát Jan Skála, Janin otec
vrchní komisař gestapa Worlitzek
gestapák Wolf
německá sekretářka Kebrdlová
gestapák
kolaborant Alois Zajíček
oficiál Havelka, Františkův otec
Skálova žena, Janina matka
hospodyně Mrázková
studentka Vlasta Stejskalová
Trudi, komisařova žena
sousedka
truhlář Moučka, Karlův otec
knihkupec Stejskal, Vlastin otec
starý muž
student Zajíček, kolaborantův syn
Havelková, matka Františka a Hanky
Hanka, Františkova sestra
služka Boženka
příslušník SS
důstojník SS
četník
dělník v truhlárně
dělník v truhlárně
soused
soused
školník
komisařův syn Günter
sousedka
služka u Worlitzka
sousedka
student
vykonavatel exekuce
studentka
studentka
student
hlas z rozhlasu
hlas z rozhlasu
Jan Drda (Vyšší princip – povídka)
Jan Drda, Jiří Krejčík (spolupráce na scénáři)
Václav Štědronský
František Schwarz (vrchní osvětlovač), Karel Ješátko (fotograf), Josef Kříž (ateliérový technik)
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Vyšší princip
Vyšší princip
A Higher Principle
film
featuretheatrical distribution
drama
Czechoslovakia
1960
1959—1960
literary Screenplay approved 12 August 1959
start of filming 3 October 1959
end of filming 19 January 1960
projection approval 31 March 1960
withdrawal from distribution 31 July 1993
preview 16 September 1960 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 23 September 1960 /suitable for youths/ (kina Lucerna /5 týdnů/, Arbes /1 týden/, Dukla /1 týden/, Flora /1 týden/, Kyjev /1 týden/, Oko /1 týden/, Revoluce /1 týden/, Vzlet /1 týden/, Odboj /1 týden od 30. 9./, Radost /1 týden od 7. 10./, Mír /1 týden od 14. 10./ a Aero /1 týden od 21. 10./, Praha)
Tvůrčí skupina Brož – Ptáček, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jaromír Ptáček (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny)
feature film
102 min
2 892 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
black & white
sound
mono
Czech
Czech, German
Czech
Czech
Event: Státní ceny za rok 1961
1962
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Marie Vášová
Festival: 3. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ostrava
1961
Ostrava / Czechoslovakia
Jana Brejchová
Festival: 3. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ostrava
1961
Ostrava / Czechoslovakia
Festival: Mezinárodní setkání filmů pro mládež Cannes
1961
Cannes / France
Festival: 3. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ostrava
1961
Ostrava / Czechoslovakia
Festival: Mezinárodní setkání filmů pro mládež Cannes
1961
Cannes / France
Festival: 3. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ostrava
1961
Ostrava / Czechoslovakia
František Smolík
Festival: Mezinárodní setkání filmů pro mládež Cannes
1961
Cannes / France
Festival: 21. mezinárodní filmový festival Benátky
1960
Benátky / Italy
František Smolík
Event: Umělecká soutěž k 15. výročí osvobození Československé republiky a zrodu lidově-demokratické ČSR
1960
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Festival: 11. filmový festival pracujících
1960
23 měst / Czechoslovakia
Festival: 13. mezinárodní filmový festival Locarno
1960
Locarno / Italy
Jana Brejchová
Festival: 13. mezinárodní filmový festival Locarno
1960
Locarno / Italy