Night of Orange Fires
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1974Production year
1974Premiere
7 March 1975Runtime
89 minDirector
Zbyněk BrynychCategory
filmGenre
dramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Noc oranžových ohňůCzech title
Noc oranžových ohňůEnglish title
Night of Orange FiresSummary
Zbyněk Brynych was one of the conformist directors of “normalisation” cinema. His factory romance Jakou barvu má láska (What Is the Colour of Love?, 1973) was followed by this drama of an honest, diehard communist who ends up in prison. Forty-five year-old Petr serves a 16-month sentence for driving under the influence and injuring a passerby, but manages to maintain his ideals even among the hardened criminals who mock his communist beliefs. After he helps one of the young inmates to find his true calling, they both return to normal life. The film, created in collaboration with pro-regime author and screenwriter Ivan Gariš, stars the seasoned Svatopluk Matyáš. Jiří Lábus appears as the young Tomáš, in one of his first film roles.
Synopsis
Petr Ryneš is celebrating his forty-fifth birthday in the company of his friends. He is happy with his wife, and his abilities at work have been rewarded with the medal For Outstanding Work. But a few short seconds are enough to change his life vhen he mades the ill-judged decision to take his car to bring a friend's wife to the celebration, and hits a pedestrian on the way. He has of course been drinking at the party and is consequently sentenced to sixteen months in prison. Being in jail is not an easy thing for a honourable communist. He soon gets into conflict with several violent inmates, who think they can break his spirit by violence. But Ryneš remains true to himself and finally gains respect from the other inmates. He also projects the young Tomáš who is being bullied by everybody. But the days are still slow, especially when Petr waits in vain for letters and visits from his wife. Petr is allowed a two-day break from his sentence by the prison commander. Before he leaves, he has a visitor. A friend's wife has come to let him know that his wife is apparently cheating on him with the woman's husband. After serving half of his sentence, Petr is let out on probation. Tomáš is set free together with him. The two men find jobs at the Metrostav building company and rent a room at the company hotel. Ryneš wins trust with his solid work, and is soon promised appropriate employment. Tomáš wants to do Petr a favour in return. He calls Petr's wife and tells her his opinion. She runs to her husband.
Photos
Cast
Svatopluk Matyáš
vedoucí nákupu Strojexportu Petr Ryneš
Jiří Lábus
vězeň Jan Tomáš
Václav Švorc
kapitán Mourek, vychovatel tábora
Josef Mixa
major Rajský, náčelník tábora
Zdeněk Kryzánek
brigadýr světnice Houska
Otto Lackovič
vězeň Jeřábek
Miroslav Zounar
vězeň Milan Kocman
Růžena Merunková
Květa, Rynešova žena
Gustav Heverle
Ivan Zimolík, Rynešův kolega
Eva Jiroušková
Zimolíkova žena
Karel Hlušička
předseda ZV ROH Koula, zraněný muž
Jiří Klem
vězeň Jiří Jelínek
Luděk Nešleha
vězeň Vondra
Ladislav Šimek
Zdeněk Skoumal, Rynešův přítel
Karel Augusta
úředník Metrostavu
Luba Skořepová
úřednice Metrostavu
Petr Skarke
vězeň Hanka
Karel Meister ml.
vězeň Matucha
Jan Kuželka
vězeň Sekera
Josef Kalena
vězeň Beneš
Milan Hlavín
vězeň Josef Anderle
Karel Bělohradský
praporčík, dozor v panelárně
Václav Vodák
lékař VB
Eva Vlachová
Koulová, žena zraněného muže
Petr Tippelt
mistr v panelárně
Bedřich Šetena
Hruška
Zdeňka Barešová
Voice by Alena Kreuzmannová
předsedkyně soudu
František Vlček ml.
přísedící
M. Svoboda
přísedící
Josef Linhart
kapitán ministerstva spravedlnosti
Václav Smrček
poručík ministerstva spravedlnosti
Bert Schneider
praporčík
Jan Pohan
major
Zdeněk Mlčoch
poručík VB
Otto Hudrlík
obhájce
pplk. Jiří Karlíček
prokurátor
Alice Hašová
Ivanka
Eva Vytlačilová
světlovlasá dívka
Radim Vašinka
muž u nehody
Pavel Burian
muž u nehody
Helena Bendová
žena u nehody
Radka Dulíková
zapisovatelka u soudu
Zdeněk Deyl
muž u Rynešů
Zuzana Mixová
dívka u Rynešů
Jiří Flíček
vězeň
Karel Fiala
vězeň
Bohumil Koška
vězeň
Jan Krafka
vězeň
Stanislav Litera
vězeň Tomáš Antl
Jaroslav Toms
vězeň
Miroslav Dvořák
hudebník
Otto Freiman
hudebník
Antonín Jeřicha
hudebník
Josef Kanč
hudebník
Bohuslav Kokrda
hudebník
Jaroslav Matějka (hudebník)
hudebník
František Přibyl
hudebník
Bohumil Stolařík
hudebník
Bedřich Štikar
hudebník
Antonín Vodehnal
hudebník
Miroslav Jíra
dubl za Karla Hlušičku
Rudolf Čumpelík
dubl – rvačka vězňů
Jindřich Sejk
dubl – rvačka vězňů
Karel Vítek
dubl – rvačka vězňů
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Zdena Pavlátová
Assistant Director
Bohumil Koška, Věra Justová
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Karel Hurský
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Jiří Bžoch, Karel Kracík, Dana Smržová
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Stunts
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Ctibor Novotný, Věra Winkelhöferová
Unit Production Manager
Consultant
pplk. Jiří Karlíček, pplk. František Havlíček
Cooperation
Eliška Moulisová (klapka), Jaromír Komárek (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
Už troubějí na horách jeleni
Song Composer Jan Kacerovský
Production info
Original Title
Noc oranžových ohňů
Czech Title
Noc oranžových ohňů
English Title
Night of Orange Fires
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1974
Production Year
1974
Production specifications
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
Premiere
festival premiere 24 February 1975 (13. festival českých a slovenských filmů Praha /kino Světozor, Praha/)
premiere 7 March 1975 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 13 March 1975 /suitable for youths/ (kino Sevastopol, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
89 min
Original length in metres
2 320 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
