Lesson

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1971

Production year

1971

Premiere

14 January 1972

Runtime

92 min

Director

Dušan Klein

Category

film

Genre

spy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Lekce

Czech title

Lekce

English title

Lesson

Summary

Genre specialist Dušan Klein hit on the idea of filming a pedigree spy thriller. This 1971 motion picture, which takes place during the Second World War in politically neutral Switzerland, was the result. The setting meant the director managed to escape the forced politicisation associated with the application of the “normalisation” period to Czechoslovak cinematography. Karel Höger is the mainstay of this film, scripted by Pavel Hajný. He takes the main role of the emigrant Lenz, a former German university professor who accepts an offer to pass on secret Nazi information to the Allies. Over time, Lenz gets the feeling that his risky activities have not had any particular outcome. Naturally, this is not true ... Lenz is thus a prototype of the common man who has decided to wage a personal battle against Nazism in an amateurish way – but not without success.

Synopsis

In 1951, six years after the war, Georg Lenz, a man working consistently and successfully against the German fascist regime during the WW II, was sentenced to a three-year correction for spying against West Germany. Georg Lenz, a German university professor escaped the country for Switzerland after the Nazis got to power. He settled in Zurich, established a books-and-paintings store, and married a young, pretty Evi. Their calm life is disturbed by a visit of major general Strobach, an ex-school mate. Strobach hates Hitler and his regime and wants to fight against them. He brought Lenz a radio transmitter for his sending messages acquired from the Hitler general staff and Lenz is supposed to transmit them further to the particular stations and organizations. After a short hesitation, Lenz agrees. The transmitter starts to operate on the day when Poland is attacked. Lenz's activities are watched by the Swiss Secret Service and German counterespionage agency. Lenz gradually becomes an object of a British and Soviet intelligence service. His reports and journalist feature stories revealing Lenz's knowledge of Nazi plans infuriate Berlin and cause a decision to destroy him. He is rescued by the Swiss. His wife, however, pays her life for helping a British spy Stone, who she is likely in love with. After the war, Lenz is awarded a medal. When he finds out about Germany rearmament, he feels his mission has not been completed yet.

Cast

Karel Höger

profesor Albert Lenz

Jana Brejchová

Evi, Lenzova žena

Leon Niemczyk

Voice by Jan Kačer
úředník britského vyslanectví Stone

Ilja Prachař

plukovník Knitter, šéf švýcarské tajné služby

Wilhelm Koch-Hooge

Voice by Jiří Holý
důstojník SS Hasse, šéf protišpionážního centra

Vladimír Šmeral

švýcarský generál

Radovan Lukavský

generál Kurt Strobach, Lenzův přítel

Vladimír Brabec

inspektor Franz Rohde

Bořivoj Navrátil

Hasseho pobočník

Vlastimil Hašek

rámař Hohner

Oldřich Velen

Bierman, soused Lenzových

Oto Ševčík

německý agent Müller

Václav Lohniský

německý agent Ulrich Lutych

Luba Skořepová

Lutychova žena

Václav Mareš

agent Werner

Ladislav Trojan

agent Krause

Miriam Kantorková

hospodyně Holanová

Jan Faltýnek

zahradník Holan

Zlatomír Vacek

generál Lidtke

Karolina Slunéčková

britská agentka Anna Liesenbacherová

Jiřina Bílá

Knitterova hospodyně

Adolf Filip

poručík odposlechové služby

Zdeněk Hodr

belgický atašé

Vlasta Jelínková

Stoneho hospodyně

Josef Koza

švýcarský strážník

Ivo Niederle

korunní svědek

Jindřich Narenta

německý major

Jan Pohan

švýcarský důstojník

Jiří Kodet

belgický tajemník

Karel Peyr

britský vyslanec Brown

Hana Čížková

Brownova sekretářka

Karel Hábl

německý důstojník

Stanislav Hájek

topič Kärschke, německý agent

Milan Charvát

novinář

Pavel Jiras

muž se samopalem

Bohumil Koška

letecký důstojník

Václav Kotva

švýcarský policista

Vít Pešina

letecký důstojník-radista

Jan Sedliský

letecký důstojník-radista

Luděk Sobota

prodavač v elektro

B. Vedralová

Biermanová

Adolf Švorc

hudebník

V. Dufek

hudebník

Miroslav Angr

hudebník

A. Kalašová

dubl za Janu Brejchovou – nebezpečné scény

Dubbing

Richard Honzovič

komentář týdeníků v kině

Crew and creators

Director

Dušan Klein

Second Unit Director

Jiří Růžička st.

Assistant Director

Jiří Býček

Screenstory

Pavel Hajný

Screenplay

Pavel Hajný

Shooting Script

Dušan Klein

Director of Photography

Jiří Stöhr

Production Designer

Vladimír Labský

Assistent Production Designer

Vladimír Hovorka

Set Designer

Vladimír Mácha, Lubor Mašek, Václav Kozel

Costume Designer

Lída Novotná

Assistant Film Editor

Helena Lehovcová

Sound Designer

Dobroslav Šrámek

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

Zdeněk Oves

Unit Production Manager

Vladislav Špidra, Antonín Navrátil

Unit Production Manager

Alena Koubová

Consultant

František Kruml

Cooperation

Hana Stibůrková (klapka), Jaroslav Trousil (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Svatopluk Havelka

Selected Music

Johann Strauss ml. (Povídky z vídeňského lesa)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Songs

Škoda lásky /Barrel Polka/

Song Composer Jaromír Vejvoda
Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Lekce

Czech Title

Lekce

English Title

Lesson

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

spy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1971

Production Year

1971

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 12 November 1970
technical Screenplay approved 12 February 1971
start of filming 17 March 1971
end of filming 1 June 1971
the first film copy approved 8 October 1971
projection approval 2 November 1971
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

premiere 14 January 1972 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 20 January 1972 /suitable for youths/ (kino Letka, Praha)

Studio

Barrandov

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

92 min

Original length in metres

2 600 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech