In his feature-length film debut Místenka bez návratu (One-way Ticket, 1964), Dušan Klein showed his clear interest in the crime genre. Six years later, he confirmed he was pursuing this path by making the non-standard detective story Jeden z nich je vrah (One of Them is the Murderer, 1970), with the screenplay contributed by Václav Šašek. The protagonist is driver Karel Marek (Jiří Holý). After his release from prison, Marek searches for his former companions, whom he has shielded by taking a guilty verdict upon himself. Four other men had been instrumental in the smuggling of objects of art abroad. After catching up with the men, he shoots one of them in self-defence and blackmails the others, whilst plunging into desperation fomented by alcohol. Marek ends up murdered and, just like Inspector Hájek (Jiří Adamíra), viewers never learn who from among the suspects is the culprit... This drama about the elusiveness of guilt was well suited to the contemporary societal context, but it nevertheless belongs among the films audiences have forgotten.
Marek, formerly a driver of a long-distance lorry, has served his term for smuggling art works abroad and is released from jail. Years ago, he sacrificed himself and confessed his guilt on behalf of his companions - the drivers Krása, Jelínek and Hess and Novák from the Ministry of Culture who gave them tips. Marek finds Hess and tells him that now he expects the gang to compensate him for the wasted years of his life. Hess pulls a gun on him but Marek unexpectedly disarms him and shoots him dead. He lowers Hess' body in his car into the Slapy reservoir. He confesses his act to the other companions and, through blackmail, manages to receive from them a regular rent. He then drinks away the money in the company of the alcoholic and drug-addict Jarýnek. Four months later, the car containing the body is found. Investigator Hájek gradually puts together the pieces of the mosaic. Long ago, Marek's companions promised to take care of his family. But his wife committed suicide after she split with her lover and his children ended up in an orphanage. Marek, full of hatred, blackmails Krása, Jelínek and Novák and, by his excessive drinking, also commits slow suicide. One day, Marek is found dead. Although the autopsy proves that the hammer strokes were already given to a dead person and although Jarýnek confesses to the murder, Hájek wants to force Krása and the others to confess to the initial crime. Krása is weakening under the pressure, there is a danger he would confess, and is found hung. Hájek knows that one of the two remaining men is the murderer. Maybe even both of them...
vyšetřovatel Hájek
řidič Jan Krása
referent ministerstva kultury Novák
řidič Karel Jelínek
policejní lékař
řidič Karel Marek
narkoman Jarýnek
řidič Karel Hess
Voice by Jan Schánilec
příslušník VB Votava
Voice by Otto Šimánek
příslušník VB Adam
mladý příslušník SNB
mladá žena u výslechu
náčelník VB
Jarýnkova milenka
nadporučík, vězeňský vychovatel
Jelínkova žena
stráž ve vězení-výdejce svršků
host ve vinárně
Novákova milenka
číšník
lékař v nemocnici
stráž ve vězení
barman
Marta Křesinová, Jarmila Navrátilová (2)
Jiří Podlesný, Luděk Staněk, Václav Šašek
Vladimír Mácha, Václav Kozel, Vladimír Slepička
Antonín Navrátil, Vladislav Špidra
Petra Havlínová
mjr. Karel Plaček, kpt. Miloš Strnad
Hana Stibůrková (klapka), Jaroslav Trousil (fotograf)
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Jeden z nich je vrah
Jeden z nich je vrah
One of Them Is the Murderer
film
featuretheatrical distribution
crime
Czechoslovakia
1970
1970
literary Screenplay approved 29 January 1970
technical Screenplay approved 8 May 1970
start of filming 15 June 1970
end of filming 24 September 1970
the first film copy approved 18 December 1970
projection approval 28 December 1970
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
premiere 23 April 1971 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 29 April 1971 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina 64 U Hradeb a Veletrhy, Praha)
Dramaturgická skupina Zdeňka Dufka, Zdeněk Dufek (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Výrobní skupina Bohumila Šmídy, Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výrobní skupiny)
feature film
90 min
2 565 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,85, 1:2,35
black & white
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech