The Cry

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1963

Production year

1963

Premiere

14 February 1964

Runtime

78 min

Category

film

Genre

social, psychological

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Křik

Czech title

Křik

English title

The Cry

Summary

Czechoslovak cinema was reinforced in 1963 by the emergence of Jaromil Jireš. He made his directing debut with a simple narrative based on a book by Ludvík Aškenazy (who also wrote the screenplay). Similarly to contemporaries at Prague’s FAMU film academy, this talented young filmmaker was influenced by the documentary approach to making feature films. The protagonists in Křik (The Cry), husband and wife Slávek and Ivana, experience a rather important day in their lives during which they are separated from each other. Ivana lies in the delivery room giving birth to their first child, while Slávek is repairing televisions at work. The spouses dwell on themselves and the life they have up until now experienced with each other. Jireš and cameraman Jaroslav Kučera use a hidden camera perspective, something that was quite unusual at the time. The director also uses non-actors to add authenticity to the narrative. Slávek is, however, played by the experienced Josef Abrhám. The motion picture earned Jireš the Special Recognition for a Young Director award at the XVII Cannes Film Festival in 1964.

Synopsis

TV mechanic Slávek takes his wife Ivana to the maternity hospital. From the moment they say goodbye, the couple can't stop thinking about each other. Their common life up to nowunfolds in fragments of memories: their first acquaintance at the railway bridge, the worries of living in a rented apartment, the wedding, furnishing the new flat. They also remember the small quarrels and the fact that they did not want a baby at first. Ivana is in the operating room, while Slávek keeps his appointments with customers and fixes broken TV sets. Anxious about waiting of the delivering a baby, he sensitively and newly becomes aware of the things, people and events around him. The editor's phrases as he dictates the copy typist his review of the Italian film La Dolce Vita, the children at school who must run to shelter during an air-raid warning exercise, the cynicism of a diplomat speaking ironically about fatherhood in the shadow of the impending war. At the post-office, Slavek gets into a fight with a man who was rude to a young black man. At home, at the end of this busy day and difficulties with obtaining information from the hospital, the young man falls asleep. As he is halfway dreaming he imagines hearing the cry of a newborn. He secretly goes to the hospital, already sure that their baby has been born. He pauses before Ivana's room but does not go in.

Cast

Eva Límanová

Ivana Procházková

Josef Abrhám

Slávek, Ivanin muž

Eva Kopecká

učitelka

Jiří Kvapil

mladý lékař

Jiří Jánoška

rasista na poště

Josef Kábrt

redaktor

Ivan Růžička

elegantní muž

Helena Fingerlandová

mondénní žena

Hana Talpová

maminka na sousední posteli v porodnici

Stanislava Procházková

Voice by Gabriela Vránová
mladá sestřička

Ladislava Bissingerová

porodní asistentka

Eva Baborovská

medička Zuzana

Jitka Pelešková

medička

Eva Pecková

medička

Helena Křišťálová

medička

Jana Pešková

drobná maminka

Ladislav Otmar

Voice by Václav Sloup
malíř Láďa Fořt, Slávkův kamarád

Ossei-Tutu

černoch

Antonín Krčmář

kluk na poště

Ivo Pondělíček

muž v televizi

K. Šponarová

Commentary

Dubbing

Eva Svobodová

hlas bytné za zdí

Jiří Němeček

hlas Tondy z alba fotografií

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Jan Schmidt

Assistant Director

Boca Abrhámová

Continuity

Dagmar Perlová

Commentary by

Ludvík Aškenazy

Shooting Script

Jaromil Jireš

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Kučera

Second Unit Photography

Miroslav Ondříček

Camera Operator

Jiří Štíbr

Production Designer

Oldřich Bosák

Assistent Production Designer

Bohumil Nový

Set Designer

Jan David (2), Miroslav Fára, Karel Kočí

Costume Designer

Lída Novotná

Assistant Film Editor

Štěpánka Stříbrná

Sound Designer

Milan R. Novotný, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)

Production Manager

Zdeněk Oves

Unit Production Manager

Jiří Beránek, Otakar Jiříček

Unit Production Manager

Vilém Henzel, Jaroslav Vágner

Consultant

doc. dr. V. Trnka

Cooperation

Helena Michálková (klapka), Karel Ješátko (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jan Klusák

Selected Music

Johann Sebastian Bach, Georges Bizet (Carmen /árie Toreadore smělý/ – opera)

Music Performed by

Komorní harmonie (Music Conducted by Libor Pešek)

Songs

Kampak jedeš sluníčko

Singer dětský sbor

Oliver Twist

Song Composer Karel Mareš
Writer of Lyrics Rostislav Černý
Singer Josef Kábrt

Zajíček v své jamce

Song Composer lidová píseň
Writer of Lyrics lidová píseň
Singer dětský hlas

Production info

Original Title

Křik

Czech Title

Křik

English Title

The Cry

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

social, psychological

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1963

Production Year

1963

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 25 July 1962
technical Screenplay approved 9 November 1962
start of filming 21 January 1963
end of filming 24 June 1963
projection approval 19 September 1963
withdrawal from distribution 1 September 1974
withdrawal from distribution 1 July 1993

Premiere

preview 31 January 1964 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 7 February 1964 /suitable for youths/ (kina Paříž /3 týdny/, Odboj /½ týdne od 14. 2./ a Kyjev /1 týden od 21. 2./, Praha)
premiere 14 February 1964 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
renewed premiere 1 April 1987 /suitable for youths/

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Barrandov

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů (původní 1964 a obnovená 1987)

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Švabík – Procházka, Jan Procházka (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Erich Švabík (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

78 min

Original length in metres

2 238 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

Awards

Vítěz

Exhibition: Přehlídka společensky angažovaných a kulturních filmů Naarden

1966
Naarden / the Netherlands

Vítěz

Exhibition: 1. mezinárodní dny Kartágo

1966
Kartágo / Tunisia

Vítěz

Event: Umělecká soutěž k 20. výročí osvobození Československa

1965
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jaromil Jireš

Vítěz

Festival: 17. mezinárodní filmový festival Locarno

1964
Locarno / Switzerland

Vítěz

Event: Čestná uznání Československého filmu a Svazu československých divadelních a filmových umělců z produkce roku 1963

1964
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 17. mezinárodní filmový festival Cannes

1964
Cannes / France