One of Them Is the Murderer

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1970

Production year

1970

Premiere

23 April 1971

Runtime

90 min

Director

Dušan Klein

Category

film

Genre

crime

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Jeden z nich je vrah

Czech title

Jeden z nich je vrah

English title

One of Them Is the Murderer

Summary

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.

Synopsis

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...

Film online

Cast

Jiří Adamíra

vyšetřovatel Hájek

Bohumil Šmída

řidič Jan Krása

Ilja Prachař

referent ministerstva kultury Novák

Josef Somr

řidič Karel Jelínek

Bohuš Záhorský

policejní lékař

Jiří Holý

řidič Karel Marek

Václav Lohniský

narkoman Jarýnek

Zdeněk Kutil

řidič Karel Hess

Miloš Vávra

Voice by Jan Schánilec
příslušník VB Votava

Josef Haukvic

Voice by Otto Šimánek
příslušník VB Adam

Václav Sloup

mladý příslušník SNB

Jana Gazdíková

mladá žena u výslechu

Jaroslav Moučka

náčelník VB

Miriam Kantorková

Jarýnkova milenka

Jan Teplý

nadporučík, vězeňský vychovatel

Jiřina Bílá

Jelínkova žena

František Hanzlík

stráž ve vězení-výdejce svršků

Zdeněk Hess

host ve vinárně

Marta Richterová

Novákova milenka

Svatopluk Skládal

lékař v nemocnici

Gustav Vondráček

stráž ve vězení

Crew and creators

Director

Dušan Klein

Second Unit Director

Jiří Růžička st.

Assistant Director

Marta Křesinová, Jarmila Navrátilová (2)

Screenstory

Jiří Podlesný, Luděk Staněk, Václav Šašek

Screenplay

Václav Šašek

Shooting Script

Dušan Klein

Dramaturg

Pavel Hajný

Director of Photography

Jiří Stöhr

Second Unit Photography

Karel Hejsek

Camera Operator

Viktor Růžička

Production Designer

Vladimír Labský

Assistent Production Designer

Aleš Voleman

Set Designer

Vladimír Mácha, Václav Kozel, Vladimír Slepička

Assistant Film Editor

Růžena Hejsková

Sound Designer

Dobroslav Šrámek

Production Manager

Zdeněk Oves

Unit Production Manager

Antonín Navrátil, Vladislav Špidra

Unit Production Manager

Petra Havlínová

Consultant

mjr. Karel Plaček, kpt. Miloš Strnad

Cooperation

Hana Stibůrková (klapka), Jaroslav Trousil (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Svatopluk Havelka

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Production info

Original Title

Jeden z nich je vrah

Czech Title

Jeden z nich je vrah

English Title

One of Them Is the Murderer

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

crime

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1970

Production Year

1970

Production specifications

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

premiere 23 April 1971 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 29 April 1971 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina 64 U Hradeb a Veletrhy, Praha)

Studio

Hostivař

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Zdeňka Dufka, Zdeněk Dufek (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Výrobní skupina Bohumila Šmídy, Bohumil Šmída (vedoucí výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

90 min

Original length in metres

2 565 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,85, 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