Football
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1965Production year
1964—1965Premiere
15 October 1965Runtime
78 minDirector
Jaroslav MachCategory
filmGenre
sportTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
FotbalCzech title
FotbalEnglish title
FootballSummary
In 1965 experienced director Jaroslav Mach made a documentary with re-enacted scenes which addressed topical problems of football, a popular sport in Czechoslovakia. The filmmakers got behind the scenes of football via the team Slavoj, which was preparing for a decisive match. If the coach, Beran, didn’t get his lads to give a convincing performance there was a risk that they’d be relegated to the second league. After a series of dramatic mishaps, Slavoj arrived on the pitch so weakened that the dreaded failure became a reality. Fortunately, in the end the fans vented their anger over “their” team losing on the innocent referee. The film also included criticism of the match officials... Besides the actors Martin Růžek and Bohumil Šmída, Mach’s film also featured real football players from the legendary Dukla Prague club and big football names still celebrated at the time (for example, Slavia Prague's František Plánička, one of the most honoured players in the history of Czechoslovakian football).
Synopsis
Football is the most popular sport in Czechoslovakia alongside ice-hockey. Thousands and thousands of football fans cheer, rage, threaten and laugh at the stadiums. Then they leave and only very rarely do they learn anything about the worries of those who rouse and entertain them week after week. Slavoj team faces demotion to B league and its coach Jarda Beran must settle countless problems before the deciding match. Captain Koubek has been accused of using his hand to score the critical goal of the preceding match. Young Smolka, everybody's favourite, is turning into a primadonna. Technical manager Stárek harangues the excellent goalkeeper Sixta and keeps him on the bench. Stárek plays another negative role in the team, trying to set the players against one another. In all this, nobody really understands how he became such an all-powerful official. The day of the match is approaching, but the young inexperienced goalkeeper is too scared to play and Beran must persuade Sixta to cover for him. But Sixta is equally out of form, he has just had two beers. He does his best but still misses the ball twice. In the second half, the young goalkeeper braces himself and replaces Sixta. He misses the penalty kick and Slavoj loses the game. The angry crowd concentrates at the referee who has to flee from the stadium with his little son. The day is over; the fans have a fiery debate. Next week, however, they will yet again rush to the stadium.
Photos
Cast
Martin Růžek
on sám, Martin Růžek
Bohumil Šmída
trenér Beran
Bohumil Musil
Karel Koubek
Vilda Marzin
Alois Sixta
Jiří Laciga
Smolka
František Škoda
Hakl
MUDr. Josef Topinka
lékař Slavoje
Miroslav Polach
Stárek
Jaroslav Kalaš
rozhodčí Válek
Hana Hermannová
Marcela
Josef Koza
Smolkův otec
Jaroslav Matucha
Votruba
Vít Holubec
televizní reportér
dr. Vratislav Fikejs
trenér soupeře
Miloslav Janovský
korpulentní funkcionář
Vladimír Krška
Růžkův přítel
Jaroslav Křečan
masér Pytelka
Jan Kühnmund
člen výboru
Vladimír Navrátil
člen výboru
Jaroslav Obraz
Pepík Válek
Josef Šulc
fanda
Josef Bartůněk
generál
Helena Skořepová
trenérova dcera
Antonín Šťastný
Kopecký
Karel Mikyska
televizní komentátor ve studiu
Václav Černý
předseda komise
Miloš Svoboda
kapitán soupeře
Ivo Urban
Urban
Bedřich Tesař
Josef Král
hráč Slavoje
Miloslav Holman (2)
rozhlasový reportér
Zdeněk Procházka
Kudláč
MUDr. Václav Jutka
Vlastimil Preis
internacionál
Emil Seifert
internacionál
František Plánička
internacionál
Josef Píša
hráč soupeře
Fotbalové mužstvo Dukly B
hráči
Fotbalové mužstvo Dukly Slaný
hráči
Arnošt Bělohlávek
muž s holí
A. Krbcová
manželka Koubka
J. Musil
syn Koubkových
Jaroslav Mach
divák
Zdeněk Srstka
divák
Josef Vojta
on sám
Ivan Mráz
on sám
Svatopluk Pluskal
on sám
Josef Masopust
on sám v dokumentárních záběrech
Andrej Kvašňák
on sám v dokumentárních záběrech
Vladimír Táborský
on sám
Jiří Tichý
on sám
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Miloslav Čech
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Jan Novák, archivní záběry
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Jiří Širc, Antonín Vojáček, Bohumil Paris
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Karel Černoch, Jiří Rulík
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Karel Prchal, Miloš Stejskal
Unit Production Manager
Ctibor Novotný
Consultant
Bohumil Musil, dr. Vratislav Fikejs, Rudolf Koros
Cooperation
Jitka Fryčová (klapka), Jiřina Znamenáčková (klapka), Karel Ješátko (fotograf), Ústřední sekce kopané ČSTV, Sparta ČKD Praha, Dukla Praha
Music
Production info
Original Title
Fotbal
Czech Title
Fotbal
English Title
Football
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
sport
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1965
Production Year
1964—1965
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 4 March 1964
technical Screenplay approved 10 September 1964
start of filming 7 October 1964
end of filming 20 May 1965
projection approval 8 July 1965
withdrawal from distribution 30 April 1973
Premiere
premiere 24 September 1965 /suitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna /3 týdny/, Praha)
premiere 15 October 1965 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Šebor – Bor, Vladimír Bor (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jiří Šebor (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
78 min
Original length in metres
2 221 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
