The Ear

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1969

Production year

1969

Premiere

1 January 1990

Runtime

95 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, psychological

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Ucho

Czech title

Ucho

English title

The Ear

Summary

One of the most absorbing films to emerge from the pairing of screenwriter Jan Procházka and director Karel Kachyňa. Ucho (The Ear, 1970) is a skilfully made psychological drama, reflecting similar characteristics to the surge of quality Czechoslovak films made during the liberal climate of the New Wave in the mid to late 1960s. As with other titles from this time, Ucho (The Ear) is critical of the methodology of totalitarianism – consequently it was only distributed to Czech audiences in 1990. Essentially only two people feature in this intimate drama – husband and wife Ludvík and Anna, who have become accustomed to the constant monitoring and eavesdropping conducted by state authorities. Indeed, they even have a prying “ear” in their home listening to their every conversation. But, one night, after returning home to their villa from a government reception, the ministerial deputy and his wife are gripped by panic. For they deduce that Ludvík is set to be arrested because of a critical report which he helped to write. An anxious and desperate night ensues, as the couple break down their own relationship – one full of compromises, disappointments, and lack of love. Morning brings fatigue, and a terrifying sobering reality: it isn’t over; the nightmare continues. Ludvík’s ministerial boss has been liquidated, and now he is set to take his place... Kachyňa’s film makes full use of the traits of the tense psychological thriller, evoking paranoia. The intimate setting is only broken by an “innocent” visit by two secret police, and flashbacks to a government social gathering. While the film can be viewed as a comment on the oppression of the Stalinist 1950s, its rich style elevates Ucho to a more abstract and timeless critique. The film itself caused many headaches for its authors during the “normalisation” era: until his early death in 1971, writer Jan Procházka found himself blacklisted. Kachyňa, meanwhile, while able to continue directing, was forced to make creative compromises. Radoslav Brzobohatý and Jiřina Bohdalová, offer gripping performances as the two main characters – but they would never be presented with such juicy roles again. In 1983, Pavel Kohout re-filmed Procházka’s script (as Das Ohr) for Austrian TV station ZDF/ORF. Kohout selected Vienna Burgtheater actors Joachim Bissmeier and Gertraud Jesserer (with colleague Pavel Landovský playing one of the secret police).

Synopsis

In the midst of a July night, in the 1952, deputy minister Ludvík and his wife Anna return home from a governmental reception. The woman is drunk, feels offended that the husband forgot about the tenth anniversary of their marriage, and keeps gibing, trying to stir a quarrel. In front of their villa, they cannot find the keys. As Ludvík climbs over the gate, Anna finds out it is unlocked and discovers other strange things. Electricity and phone in the house are cut off and there are some strange men moving around in their garden. Ludvík recalls the discussions at the reception where he learned that his superior minister and several other men were arrested. Horror begins to seize him as he realizes that he himself helped to write a critical report on brickyards, which was possibly the cause of the arrest. He begins to destroy documents, tearing some, flushing others down the toilet and burning yet more. The tense situation results in a fight between the husband and wife, with Anna reproaching Ludvík for his unscrupulous careerism. Then a group of secret policemen rings the bell by the gate. Anna prepares things for Ludvík to take to prison. However, the agents did not come to arrest him and Ludvík, out of gratitude, plays host to them. When the men leave, the couple finds out that they "only" came to complete installation of a monitoring system, having been interrupted by Ludvík's and Anna's preliminary arrival. It is morning, the husband and wife, exhausted by fear and stirred emotions, are having breakfast. The phone rings and Ludvík is told he has been appointed minister.

Note

Although the opening credits state the 1970 copyright, the first copy, which was no longer approved for distribution, was completed on December 29, 1969. After disapproval, the première was not held until January 1990.

Cast

Radoslav Brzobohatý

Ludvík, náměstek ministra

Jiřina Bohdalová

Anna, Ludvíkova žena

Jiří Císler

tajný Standa, Ludvíkův známý z vojny

Miloslav Holub

ruský generál

Milica Kolofíková

žena na recepci

Jaroslav Moučka

funkcionář Vagera

Alois Mottl

tajný Pepa

Bronislav Poloczek

tajný Rudla

Bořivoj Navrátil

funkcionář Cejnar

Jindřich Narenta

ministrův tajemník

Ivan Palúch

mladý důstojník StB

Daniela Pokorná

Vlasta z Broumova

Karel Vlček

pořadatel

Alice Auspergerová

mladá Ruska

Jan Bartoš

inženýr

Jana Hana Duffková

žena na recepci

Galina Kopaněva

žena na recepci

Zdeněk Hradilák

muž s vázou

Miroslav Nesvadba

Voice by Josef Velda
funkcionář Bedřich

Vladimír Zátka

Ludvík, syn Anny a Ludvíka

Senta Wollnerová

dáma

Babický

řidič Vláďa

Hanuš

řidič Jindřich

Vondráček

zaměstnanec ministerstva

Tlapák

mladík

Popov

pobočník generála

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Milada Mikešová

Assistant Director

Karel Brchel

Screenstory

Jan Procházka

Shooting Script

Karel Kachyňa

Director of Photography

Josef Illík

Second Unit Photography

Adolf Hejzlar

Camera Operator

Jan Hanzal

Production Designer

Oldřich Okáč

Assistent Production Designer

Jan Kňákal

Art Director

Ester Krumbachová

Set Designer

Ladislav Winkelhöfer, Čestmír Diviš, Jiří Žebrakovský

Costume Designer

Ester Krumbachová

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek

Sound Designer

Jiří Lenoch

Production Manager

Karel Vejřík

Unit Production Manager

Ladislav Dražan, Rudolf Mos

Unit Production Manager

Antonín Šimral

Cooperation

Jaroslav Trousil (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Svatopluk Havelka

Selected Music

Ferdinand Heller (Česká beseda)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Kühnův smíšený sbor (Music Conducted by Pavel Kühn)

Production info

Original Title

Ucho

Czech Title

Ucho

English Title

The Ear

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, psychological

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1969

Production Year

1969

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 21 April 1969
technical Screenplay approved 22 July 1969
start of filming 5 August 1969
end of filming 17 October 1969
projection approval 29 December 1969 (neschváleno do distribuce)
the first film copy approved 29 December 1969
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1993

Premiere

premiere 1 January 1990 /unsuitable for youths/
renewed premiere 15 September 2022 /suitable for all ages without limit/

Studio

Hostivař

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů (původní 1990), Národní filmový archiv (obnovená 2022)

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Švabík – Procházka, Jan Procházka (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Erich Švabík (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

95 min

Original length in metres

2 553 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm, DCP 2-D, BRD

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, Russian

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Anketa filmových kritiků o nejlepší česko-slovenský hraný film století

1998
Praha / Czech Republic

Vítěz

Event: Ceny Trilobit 1991 za umělecká díla v oblasti filmu a filmové teorie

1991
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jiřina Bohdalová

Vítěz

Event: Ceny Trilobit 1991 za umělecká díla v oblasti filmu a filmové teorie

1991
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jan Procházka

Vítěz

Event: Ceny Trilobit 1991 za umělecká díla v oblasti filmu a filmové teorie

1991
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Karel Kachyňa

Vítěz

Exhibition: Dny českého a slovenského filmu Bratislava

1990
Bratislava / Czechoslovakia
Jiřina Bohdalová

Vítěz

Exhibition: Dny českého a slovenského filmu Bratislava

1990
Bratislava / Czechoslovakia
Jan Procházka

Vítěz

Exhibition: Dny českého a slovenského filmu Bratislava

1990
Bratislava / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 4. festival českých a slovenských filmů FINÁLE Plzeň

1990
Plzeň / Czechoslovakia

Revue