I, Justice
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1967Production year
1967Premiere
12 April 1968Runtime
86 minDirector
Zbyněk BrynychCategory
filmGenre
drama, fantastic, psychologicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Já, spravedlnostCzech title
Já, spravedlnostEnglish title
I, JusticeSummary
The eclectic author Miloš Macourek made his screen debut with the script for the playful comedy Kdo chce zabít Jessii? (Who Wants to Kill Jessie?, 1966). After his initiation with Václav Vorlíček, he chose to work with the director Zbyněk Brynych for this ambitious adaptation of a “serious” 1946 novel by Miroslav Hanuš. Já, spravedlnost (I, Justice, 1968) is an imaginative story that explores the possibilities of a parallel history: A Czech doctor named Heřman discovers that Adolf Hitler has survived his suicide and is a prisoner in the private sanatorium of Professor Hartig, who subjects him to repeated psychological abuse in retribution for his crimes... The film’s unsettling atmosphere is capably sustained by Czech film icon Karel Höger in the role of Heřman. Hitler was played by East German actor Fritz Diez. Due to his resemblance to the dictator, he also played the role in the five-part war epic Osvobození (Liberation, 1967–1971), Volbě cíle (Take Aim, 1974), three episodes of the series Sedmnáct zastavení jara (Seventeen Moments of Spring, 1973) and the mini-series Vojáci svobody (Soldiers of Freedom, 1977).
Synopsis
At the year 1946, the time of the Nuremberg Process. One of the main actors of the Second World War, who reportedly committed suicide, Adolf Hitler is, however, missing. The Czech doctor Heřman is kidnapped from Prague and driven to the sanatorium of Professor Rolf Harting. The sanatorium is a disguised military stronghold, most probably occupied by a Nazi garrison, with prison cells and an execution chamber in the basement. At night, Heřman is taken to a patient in whom he, to his horror, recognizes Hitler. He refuses to cooperate with Harting and decides to flee. But he is well-guarded. During a car ride, he meets Inge who indicates that she is working against Harting. After some time, Heřman finds out that Harting and his people are not in fact Hitler's followers - on the contrary, they want to punish him for his crimes. In their opinion, one death is not enough for Hitler. They therefore make up a simulated "attack" on the sanatorium by American and Soviet troops. Hitler is then thrown into an underground cell, "sentenced" to death and drawn into the executor's cell where he has to experience the horror of the upcoming death. He is "liberated" at the last minute by Harting, so the torture might continue later. Harting asks Heřman to blind Hitler, being afraid that the fuhrer will realize what a kind of play has been played with him. Heřman agrees, but instead of operating on Hitler, he injects him poison. Inge, who wanted to liberate the fuhrer then shoots Heřman dead.
Photos
Cast
Karel Höger
MUDr. Josef Heřman
Angelica Domröse
Inge Stahlová
Jiří Vršťala
profesor Rolf Harting, bývalý důstojník SS
Fritz Diez
Adolf Hitler
Jindřich Narenta
muž v brýlích
Karel Charvát
Herbert
Oto Ševčík
Henri
Jindřich Blažíček
tlustý muž
Karel Peyr
garážmistr
Rudolf Macharovský
muž s klíči
Oldřich Stodola
holohlavý muž
Ervin Zolar
žalobce
Paul Leclér
vrátný
Richard Lederer
zvukař
Jan Schánilec
Bormannův muž
Jiří Fuchs
sluha Inge
Rajmond Gabriel
příslušník MP /americké vojenské policie/
Petr Oliva
příslušník MP /americké vojenské policie/
Zdeněk Matouš
muž číslo 1
T. Lederer
muž číslo 2
Jiří Svárovský
muž číslo 3
H. J. Müller
muž číslo 4
Vladimír Zoubek
muž číslo 5
Karel Špička
muž číslo 6
Jan Diviš
muž číslo 7
Karel Dellapina
muž číslo 8
Milan Sandhaus
muž číslo 9
Jaroslav Tomsa
muž číslo 10
Vilém Pruner
muž číslo 11
Karel Hábl
muž číslo 12
Miroslav Nosek
muž číslo 13
J. Rek
muž číslo 14
Ludvík Wolf
muž číslo 15
Jan Váňa
muž číslo 19
Jindřich Sejk
muž číslo 20
Viktor Oktábec
muž číslo 21
Jiří Cimický
muž číslo 22
Ivan Foltýn
muž číslo 24
Hana Davidová
sestra
Jan Kropáček
americký důstojník
Jaroslav Klenot
příslušník amerického komanda číslo 1
Pavel Navara
příslušník amerického komanda číslo 2
Jindřich Vítek
příslušník amerického komanda číslo 3
Karel Vítek
příslušník amerického komanda číslo 4
Otakar Rademacher
příslušník amerického komanda číslo 10
P. Stejskal
příslušník amerického komanda číslo 11
Josef Schneider
sovětský voják číslo 1
Jiří Kasík
sovětský voják číslo 2
Karel Engel
sovětský voják číslo 3
Josef Bárta
sovětský voják číslo 4
Jaroslav Vlk
sovětský voják číslo 5
Eduard Pavlíček
pumpař
J. Maroušková
dubl za Angelicu Domröse – pád ze schodiště
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Based on
Miroslav Hanuš (Já, spravedlnost – román)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Vladislav Špidra, Jiří Zika
Unit Production Manager
Consultant
Bohumil Černý
Cooperation
Jiřina Srbová (klapka), Miloslav Mirvald (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), skupina Jana Hammera, Hudba Československé lidové armády
Production info
Original Title
Já, spravedlnost
Czech Title
Já, spravedlnost
English Title
I, Justice
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama, fantastic, psychological
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1967
Production Year
1967
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 10 February 1967
technical Screenplay approved 15 April 1967
start of filming 18 May 1967
end of filming 31 August 1967
projection approval 6 December 1967
withdrawal from distribution 1 September 1974
Premiere
premiere 12 April 1968 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 19 April 1968 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Paříž /2 týdny/, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
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
86 min
Original length in metres
2 459 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: Peněžitá odměna za film v rámci hodnocení produkce Filmového studia Barrandov v roce 1967
1968
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Miloš Macourek
Vítěz
Festival: 6. mezinárodní festival vědecko-fantastických filmů Terst
1968
Terst / Italy
Vítěz
Event: Peněžitá odměna za film v rámci hodnocení produkce Filmového studia Barrandov v roce 1967
1968
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Zbyněk Brynych
