A Higher Principle
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1960Production year
1959—1960Premiere
23 September 1960Runtime
102 minDirector
Jiří KrejčíkCategory
filmGenre
dramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Vyšší principCzech title
Vyšší principEnglish title
A Higher PrincipleSummary
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.
Synopsis
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.
Photos
Cast
František Smolík
třídní profesor Málek, klasický filolog
Jana Brejchová
studentka Jana Skálová
Ivan Mistrík
student Vlastimil Ryšánek
Jan Šmíd
student František Havelka
Alexandr Postler
student Karel Moučka
Petr Kostka
student Honza Horák
Radovan Lukavský
profesor Vondráček
Václav Lohniský
profesor Richter, němčinář
Marie Lukášová
profesorka gymnázia
Miroslav Svoboda
profesor gymnázia
Gustav Hilmar
profesor Václav Vandas, češtinář
Bohuš Záhorský
ředitel gymnázia
Marie Vášová
pradlena Ryšánková, Vlastimilova matka
Otomar Krejča
advokát Jan Skála, Janin otec
Hannjo Hasse
vrchní komisař gestapa Worlitzek
František Pálka
gestapák Wolf
Nora Houfová
německá sekretářka Kebrdlová
Jindřich Narenta
gestapák
Rudolf Hrušínský
kolaborant Alois Zajíček
Bedřich Prokoš
oficiál Havelka, Františkův otec
Marie Glázrová
Skálova žena, Janina matka
Věra Tichánková
hospodyně Mrázková
Zuzana Stivínová
studentka Vlasta Stejskalová
Stanislava Seimlová
Trudi, komisařova žena
Jarmila Kurandová
sousedka
Vladimír Hlavatý
truhlář Moučka, Karlův otec
Karel Pavlík
knihkupec Stejskal, Vlastin otec
Josef Kozák
starý muž
Jiří Kodet
student Zajíček, kolaborantův syn
Elena Hálková
Havelková, matka Františka a Hanky
Naděžda Gajerová
Hanka, Františkova sestra
Blažena Slavíčková
služka Boženka
Jan Skopeček
příslušník SS
Štěpán Bulejko
důstojník SS
Karel Enzmann
četník
Václav Švec
dělník v truhlárně
Rudolf Široký
dělník v truhlárně
Ladislav Gzela
soused
Bohuš Hradil
soused
František Suk
školník
Míša Staninec
komisařův syn Günter
Libuše Švormová
sousedka
Jitka Frantová
služka u Worlitzka
Luba Skořepová
sousedka
Elmar Kloss
student
Jan Kühnmund
vykonavatel exekuce
Sheila Ochová
studentka
Anna Procházková
studentka
J. Müller
student
Dubbing
Jiří Šrámek
hlas z rozhlasu
Jindřich Narenta
hlas z rozhlasu
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Based on
Jan Drda (Vyšší princip – povídka)
Screenplay
Jan Drda, Jiří Krejčík (spolupráce na scénáři)
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Václav Štědronský
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Assistant Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Cooperation
František Schwarz (vrchní osvětlovač), Karel Ješátko (fotograf), Josef Kříž (ateliérový technik)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Production info
Original Title
Vyšší princip
Czech Title
Vyšší princip
English Title
A Higher Principle
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1960
Production Year
1959—1960
Production specifications
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
Premiere
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)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Brož – Ptáček, Miloš Brož (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jaromír Ptáček (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
102 min
Original length in metres
2 892 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,37
Colour
black & white
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech, German
Subtitles languages
Czech
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Event: Státní ceny za rok 1961
1962
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Marie Vášová
Vítěz
Festival: 3. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ostrava
1961
Ostrava / Czechoslovakia
Jana Brejchová
Vítěz
Festival: Mezinárodní setkání filmů pro mládež Cannes
1961
Cannes / France
Vítěz
Festival: 3. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ostrava
1961
Ostrava / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 3. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ostrava
1961
Ostrava / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: Mezinárodní setkání filmů pro mládež Cannes
1961
Cannes / France
Vítěz
Festival: 3. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ostrava
1961
Ostrava / Czechoslovakia
František Smolík
Vítěz
Festival: Mezinárodní setkání filmů pro mládež Cannes
1961
Cannes / France
Vítěz
Festival: 13. mezinárodní filmový festival Locarno
1960
Locarno / Italy
Vítěz
Festival: 21. mezinárodní filmový festival Benátky
1960
Benátky / Italy
František Smolík
Vítěz
Event: Umělecká soutěž k 15. výročí osvobození Československé republiky a zrodu lidově-demokratické ČSR
1960
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 11. filmový festival pracujících
1960
23 měst / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 13. mezinárodní filmový festival Locarno
1960
Locarno / Italy
Jana Brejchová
