Honour and Glory
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1968Production year
1968Premiere
24 January 1969Runtime
84 minDirector
Hynek BočanCategory
filmGenre
drama, historicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Čest a slávaCzech title
Čest a slávaEnglish title
Honour and GlorySummary
In addition to the legendary satire The White Lady (Bílá paní, 1965), Czech filmmakers also found inspiration in the work of Karel Michal in this bitter historical comedy from 1968. Italian film critics gave this extraordinary film the Passinetti Prize in Venice; however, the censors hid it in the notional “normalisation safe”, in the prohibited titles section. Even though the story takes place at the end of the Thirty Years War, it was impossible to overlook obvious references to the political situation of the time. The protagonist and narrator – the poor and resigned knight Rynda of Loučka in the unforgettable rendition by Rudolf Hrušínský – is the prototype of the hesitant hero. He takes into his home a nobleman striving to overthrow the Hapsburgs, however he is unable to muster the courage for open resistance, because above all else, he longs to survive and to be left alone. This bitter testimony about the Czech character was undeservedly forgotten and did not find an audience until 1991.
Synopsis
It is the year 1647 and the war has been raging for almost thirty years. Poor and dilapidated is the stronghold of the knight Václav Rynda of Loučka and so is his clothing. The family property was spent by his father who, after the loss at the battle at the White Mountain, was forced to give up his faith and had to swear submission to the Catholic Church to save his skin. Václav resembles a peasant rather than a nobleman, as he tries to find something to eat for himself and his domestics. One day, a visit comes to the stronghold. The emperor's commissioner Šrandorf and his wife ask for a night's lodging. The guest then reveals to Rynda in private that Šrandorf is not their real name and that in fact they are not even married - Jindřich Donovalský and his companion Kateřina have come in the French king's employ and want to incite a revolt against the Hapsburgs in Bohemia. That very night, a gang of marauders attacks the stronghold and the guest helps the defenders of the stronghold to put them to flight. Donovalský wants to persuade the diligent Rynda to join the resistance and remains as a guest with his company for many months. His false commissioner's letter of safe-conduct saves Rynda in winter from the requisition by the emperor's army. In the meantime, Donovalský's adjutant trains Rynda's subjects in fighting. During the collection of tithes, a parish priest is unfortunately killed and the accident instigates open resistance. Rynda recalls his own roots and stands at the head of the rebellion although the news that the war is over has just arrived.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Rudolf Hrušínský
rytíř Václav Rynda z Loučky
Blanka Bohdanová
společnice Kateřina
Karel Höger
Jindřich Donovalský z Bejšic a Oujezda alias císařský komisař František Šrandorf
Iva Janžurová
děvečka Dorota
Josef Kemr
kapitán francouzských fyzilírů Benedikt Hevera
Lubomír Lipský
farář
Zdeněk Kryzánek
rychtář
Adolf Minský
děda Maňas
Richard Záhorský
čeledín Kuba
Bohuslav Čáp
sedlák Konšel
Jaromír Hanzlík
důstojník Fendrych Kvart
Hana Kreihanslová
selka Piťhová
Jan Pohan
biskupský rejtar
Jindřich Blažíček
sedlák Jakub I.
Jan Cmíral
sedlák Jakub II.
František Krahulík
kovář
František Kubíček
čeledín Matěj
Otto Mojžíš
František, Donovalského kočí/Kvartův voják
Stanislav Bareš
sedlák
Emil Rohan
sedlák
Karel Vavřík
sedlák
Eduard Pavlíček
sedlák
Ela Šilarová
selka Beneška
Milica Kolofíková
snacha dědy Maňase
Josef Dvořák
čeledín
Ferdinand Krůta
hostinský Jouza
Marie Šimberová
služka, Dorotina matka
Karel Anderle
marodér
Emil Beneš
marodér
Čestmír Čivrný
marodér
Zdeněk Houška
marodér
Ivan Chrz
marodér
Josef Kříž
marodér
Petr Lebeda
marodér
František Plecháček
marodér
Ivo Prokop
marodér
Miloslav Průša
marodér
Robert Ritschel
marodér
J. Schuster
marodér
Zbyšek Šrůta
marodér
Petr Vinař
marodér
Pavel Vlasák
marodér
L. Zahrádka
marodér
Jaroslav Voigst
marodér
J. Plecháčková
marodérka
Vlasáková
marodérka
Jan Ekl
strážný
Karel Engel
ohořelý mrtvý muž
J. Šafránek
jednonohý mrtvý
Oldřich Pithard
dubl za Rudolfa Hrušínského
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Josef Sandr
Continuity
Based on
Karel Michal (Čest a sláva – román)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Set Designer
Viktor Fixl, Josef Calta, Václav Šebek
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jaroslava Pražská
Consultant
Miroslav Toegel, PhDr. Miroslav Mudra
Cooperation
Kateřina Reimanová (klapka), Karel Šebík (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Kühnův smíšený sbor
Songs
Bázeň boží je ta tam
Singer Kühnův smíšený sbormužský hlas
Vstaň, duše, vstaň
Singer ženský hlas
Production info
Original Title
Čest a sláva
Czech Title
Čest a sláva
English Title
Honour and Glory
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama, historical
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1968
Production Year
1968
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 18 October 1967
technical Screenplay approved 15 December 1967
start of filming 13 January 1968
end of filming 15 July 1968
the first film copy approved 20 November 1968
projection approval 10 December 1968
withdrawal from distribution 30 April 1976
withdrawal from distribution 1 July 1993
Premiere
premiere 24 January 1969 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 13 February 1969 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Sevastopol /2 týdny/, Praha)
renewed premiere 1 September 1990 /unsuitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Ústřední půjčovna filmů (původní 1969 a obnovená 1990)
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
84 min
Original length in metres
2 403 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
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
