The Death of Mr Baltazar

A man repairs his old Walter car by the side of road, devotedly assisted by his wife. She hands him the instruments in the manner of theatre nurses during a surgery, at the same time trying to tell the models of passing motorcycles by the sound of the motors. Anytime she gets one wrong, the husband kindly corrects her. Nearby, their fellow-traveller, an old uncle, delivers a monologue in which he recalls his experiences from his youth. The veteran automobile sets off on the road again. Although even a man on a bicycle can overtake them, the man praises the car fulsomely. The family, in fact, is travelling to the motorcycle Grand Cup. The race track is already full of hundreds of viewers who have been waiting to occupy the best spots since the night. The husband indulges in conversation with an invalid on a wheelchair, enchanting him with his memories of the famous racers and especially their often mortal crashes. The wife supports Mr Šťastný, who always wins despite crashes and wounds. The race starts. The uncle tries to clean his dirty coat with gasoline so ineptly that the coat burns in the grass. The racer Baltazar tragically crashes right in front of the family and dies. The races are over and the viewers disperse.