The High Blue Wall
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1973Production year
1973Premiere
13 September 1974Runtime
91 minDirector
Vladimír ČechCategory
filmGenre
drama, politicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Vysoká modrá zeďCzech title
Vysoká modrá zeďEnglish title
The High Blue WallSummary
The first Czech film to be made with 70mm film technology was created to mark the 30th anniversary of the independent Czechoslovak air force. Directed by Vladimír Čech in 1973, the film is inspired by the novel Osm a půl sestřelu (Eight-and-a-half Shootdowns) by author Vladimír Podzimek. The narrative is played out in 1951, and sees air force commander Jelínek (Jiří Bednář) nostalgically looking back to the formative days of Czech military aviation. Years ago, when first starting out, Jelínek even found himself at odds with his strict commander Dvořák (Martin Růžek). But both soldiers are ultimately joined together by the hope that new Soviet military aircraft will help secure the country’s borders against Western aggression. The film is an unabashed early “normalisation” attempt at rehabilitating the Stalinist era. The Czechoslovak People's Army (ČLA) and Svazarm (the Union for Cooperation with the Army) assisted with the production. Vysoká modrá zeď (The High Blue Wall) benefits from realistically staged aircraft battle sequences.
Synopsis
The young captain Jelínek, the top-ranking executive of the army air force, has been recalling the year 1951 when he joined military unit at the western border. He was a second-in-command responsible for political issues. The commander of the flying unit, general Dvořák who is his superior officer a feared but respected man, was imprisoned in a concentration camp during the World War II. Later he dedicated his family life to his profession. Jelínek has to prepare a lecture for the commanders, being grateful to his older colleague for helping him with choosing an appropriate text. The unit leaders do not let him know that it has been several times they heard the same lecture. Dvořák forbids Jelínek from organizing pilots as volunteers to built new apartments, but he tolerates his rising relationship to a secretary Libuška. The flying unit expects a supply of new Soviet fighters to provide for the "high blue wall" - protection against western armies. Old military aircraft is not capable of preventing the intrusion of leaflets carrying air balloons and American fighters. On the contrary, two Czech soldiers fly over to West Germany. Pilot Netopil though returns back soon. His apology for an emergency landing is accepted, but despite that, he is transferred to ground maintenance and supplies. Dvořák is very unhappy about the death of a nineteen years old pilot of the Aero Club, whose shot down he had to approve. The crash of an air balloon with an airliner causes death of several civilians. Soviet instructors arrive with the new aircrafts, and Czech pilots enthusiastically and successfully undertake the training. In a short time they have an opportunity to demonstrate their skills when forcing an intruding American military aircraft to land on our territory.
Photos
Cast
Martin Růžek
generál Dvořák, velitel leteckého svazu
Jiří Bednář
kapitán Luboš Jelínek, zástupce pro věci politické
Jiří Němeček
plukovník Šmíd
Josef Langmiler
major Josef Švestka
Josef Chvalina
major Pekař
Gustav Heverle
major Pecka
Vanda Švarcová
sekretářka Libuška
Jiří Krampol
poručík Zdenek Netopil
Ladislav Trojan
poručík Vašíček
Vladimír Brabec
major Pilař
Oldřich Velen
major Sluka
Josef Beyvl
stavbyvedoucí Nohýnek
Světla Amortová
hospodyně Málková
Hana Čížková
Nehodová, Netopilova bývalá dívka
Jitka Zelenohorská
poručice Boučková, meteoroložka
Miloš Vavruška
nadporučík Vinopal
Miloš Willig
generál z ministerstva národní obr
Zdeněk Braunschläger
staršina Hanák
Miroslav Krejča
Trejbal
Jaroslav Mareš
staršina Havlín
Štěpán Bulejko
Roubal
Josef Hajdučík
major Přikryl
Vladimír Navrátil
plukovník Hájek
Petr Traxler
nadporučík Němeček
Jiřina Bílá
generálova sekretářka
Jana Hermachová
generálova písařka
Zuzana Talpová
písařka Věra
Ilona Jirotková
sekretářka majora Švestky
Slávka Hamouzová
žena s deštníkem na zastávce
Jindřich Kostinec
důstojník
pplk. Ing. Josef Pavlík
americký pilot L 29
Alice Netíková
tanečnice poručice Petráková
Jan Hotěk
člen zabezpečovací skupiny
Miroslav Pechek
člen zabezpečovací skupiny
Šárka Jerieová
obsluha radiolokátoru
Vladimír Novák
řidič
Emanuel Špánek
řidič
Jaroslav Chrz
řidič
Jaroslav Přáda
člen posádky C 11
Pavel Kocfelda
člen posádky C 11
Ladislav Čáslavka
člen posádky C 11
Zdeněk Skalický
člen posádky Mig 15
Josef Szakoš
člen posádky Mig 15
Jiří Tomeš
člen posádky Mig 15
Bohuslav Úlehla
člen posádky Mig 15
Jaroslav Havlina
člen posádky Mig 15
František Kočí
člen posádky Il 14
Bohumil Raš
člen posádky Il 14
Antonín Růžička
člen posádky Il 14
Radoslav Slezák
člen posádky Il 14
Josef Štěpánek
člen posádky Il 14
Oldřich Beneš
voják
Radoslav Charvát
voják
Josef Martinovský
voják
Jan Morava
voják
Antonín Škovránek
voják
Karel Štamfest
voják
Karel Bezděk
hudebník
František Myšák
hudebník
Vladimír Rejmíš
hudebník
Vratislav Rejmíš
hudebník
Vratislav Rejmíš ml.
hudebník
Luděk Rýva
hudebník
Jiří Smolík
hudebník
Michal Blahout
tanečník
Antonín Dvořák (tanečník)
tanečník
Josef Luňák
tanečník
Blanka Podlešáková
tanečnice
Božena Rejmíšová
tanečnice
Libuše Růžková
tanečnice
Evžen Růžek
sólový tanečník
Václav Veselý
dubl za Jiřího Krampola
Lubomír Kolář
dubl za Vladimíra Brabce
příslušníci letectva Československé lidové armády
členové Aeroklubu, Svazarmu Ostrava
Dubbing
Viktor Maurer
hlas pilota ve vysílačce
Jan Kuželka
hlas pilota ve vysílačce
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Based on
Václav Podzimek (Osm a půl sestřelu – novela)
Screenplay
Václav Podzimek, Milan Růžička, Vladimír Čech, Miloslav Vydra
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Petr Hanousek, Josef Müller, Jiří Žůček
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Karel Škop, Vlasta Synkulová
Unit Production Manager
Milan Futera
Consultant
pplk. Ing. Josef Pavlík, Jan Hotěk, plk. Jan Kovář, Zbyšek Svoboda
Cooperation
T. Hospodářová (klapka), Josef Janoušek (fotograf), letecký útvar ČSLA Ostrava
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
Kalinka
Song Composer Ivan Petrovič Larionov
Writer of Lyrics Ivan Petrovič Larionov
Singer Alexandrovci
Production info
Original Title
Vysoká modrá zeď
Czech Title
Vysoká modrá zeď
English Title
The High Blue Wall
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama, political
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1973
Production Year
1973
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 1 November 1972
start of filming 20 February 1973
technical Screenplay approved 26 April 1973
end of filming 26 October 1973
projection approval 31 October 1973
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1989
Premiere
festival premiere 13 June 1974 (25. filmový festival pracujících – červen ´74)
premiere 16 June 1974 /suitable for youths/ (kino Veletrhy a Sportovní hala Parku kultury a oddechu Julia Fučíka, Praha)
premiere 13 September 1974 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Karla Copa, Karel Cop (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
91 min
Original length in metres
2 548 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm, 70mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66, 1:2,35
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono, stereo
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Event: Prémie Českého literárního fondu za rok 1974
1975
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Vladimír Čech
Vítěz
Festival: 12. festival českých a slovenských filmů Nitra
1974
Nitra / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 25. filmový festival pracujících – červen '74
1974
45 měst / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Event: Literární soutěž k 25. výročí Února
1974
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Vladimír Čech
Vítěz
Event: Literární soutěž k 25. výročí Února
1974
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Václav Podzimek
Revue
Film’s big 70 – 70 mm films and cinemas in Czechoslovakia
Films screened using the original 70 mm copy are something of a holy grail for cinema connoisseurs demanding nothing but...
