The King’s Blunder

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1968

Production year

1968

Premiere

27 December 1968

Runtime

81 min

Category

film

Genre

historical

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Královský omyl

Czech title

Královský omyl

English title

The King’s Blunder

Working title

Padací most

Summary

This 1968 film is an adaptation of the second part of the 1967 novel Král utíká z boje (The King Runs from a Fight) by experienced dramatist Oldřich Daněk. Written and directed by Daněk, the historical drama takes the complicated story found in his novel (itself the third part of a loose trilogy of novels) and spotlights the tale of royal vice-chamberlain Jindřich of Lipá, who in 1315 was wrongly imprisoned after being tried on trumped-up charges of treachery. Not even Queen Eliška Rejčka (Elizabeth Richeza of Poland) can convince the Czech aristocrat to admit his guilt. Like many of Daněk’s written works, Královský omyl (The King’s Blunder) goes far beyond a mere historical evocation. It also presents a wider parable reflective of the political climate in which it was made. The main role in this engrossing tale of a man refusing to buckle under pressure is performed by charismatic actor Miroslav Macháček. Jana Hlaváčová plays his female adversary.

Synopsis

Year 1315. The adolescent king John of Luxembourg and his wife Eliška Przemyslid rule Bohemia, but it is the vice-chamberlain Jindřich of Lipá who is the true master of the country. His influence is resented by other noblemen, and by the queen who proclaims him a traitor. Jindřich is imprisoned at Týřov castle, together with his companion friar Bonaventura. In the castle's bleak dungeon, the burgrave Hýta must guard the prisoners. Bribed by a promise of thirty talents of silver, he allows the Lord of Lipá free access to the entire fortress. Time passes and Jindřich waits to see what destiny has in store for him. One day, a messenger comes to the castle with an offer from the queen: if Jindřich humbles himself and admit his guilt he will be granted his freedom. The proud nobleman refuses the offer. After a while, the queen herself tries to break Jindřich's resistance, but he resists both her beauty, and her promises and threats. He is in the right and must stand his ground, but the queen cannot admit defeat either, although she has committed the sins of duplicity and injustice. When she leaves, the Lord of Lipá knows he only has two prospects - release or execution. He is not mistaken. Unable to cope with the escalating riots in the country, the king releases him in 1316.

Cast

Miroslav Macháček

Jindřich z Lipé, nejvyšší podkomoří

Luděk Munzar

mnich Bonaventura

Martin Růžek

purkrabí Hýta od Tří stromů

Jana Hlaváčová

královna česká Eliška Přemyslovna

Vlastimil Harapes

král český Jan Lucemburský

Ludmila Roubíková

hluchá kuchařka Kateřina

Karel Vlček

Tlusťoch

Josef Vinklář

Heidenreich

Luděk Kopřiva

kanovník Jindřich

Anna Kasalová

Háta

Svatava Šanovcová

Kedruta

Renata Borová

služka

Jaroslav Kokštain

hejtman

Jaroslav Mareš

Voice by Josef Větrovec
Vilém Zajíc z Valdeka

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Aleš Dospiva

Assistant Director

Milena Třešková

Based on

Oldřich Daněk (Král utíká z boje – román)

Screenplay

Oldřich Daněk

Shooting Script

Oldřich Daněk

Director of Photography

Václav Hanuš

Second Unit Photography

Michal Kulič

Camera Operator

Vladimír Zajíc

Production Designer

Jindřich Goetz

Set Designer

Jiří Cvrček, Jaromír Dědek, Oldřich Halaza

Costume Designer

Jarmila Konečná

Assistant Film Editor

Růžena Hejsková

Sound Designer

František Fabián

Production Manager

Jaroslav Solnička

Unit Production Manager

Václav Havlík, Miroslav Dousek

Unit Production Manager

Milan Štěch

Consultant

dr. Rostislav Nový

Cooperation

Alexandra Haškovcová (klapka), Vladimír Souček (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jan F. Fischer

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Milivoj Uzelac), Pražští madrigalisté (Music Conducted by Miroslav Venhoda)

Production info

Original Title

Královský omyl

Czech Title

Královský omyl

English Title

The King’s Blunder

Working Title

Padací most

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

historical

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1968

Production Year

1968

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 14 September 1967
technical Screenplay approved 26 February 1968
start of filming 26 March 1968
end of filming 16 June 1968
the first film copy approved 4 October 1968
projection approval 24 October 1968
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1990

Premiere

premiere 25 December 1968 /suitable for youths/ (kino 64 U Hradeb /2 týdny/, Praha)
premiere 27 December 1968 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Novotný – Kubala, Bedřich Kubala (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Ladislav Novotný (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

81 min

Original length in metres

2 320 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66, 1:2,35

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech