Night of Orange Fires

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1974

Production year

1974

Premiere

7 March 1975

Runtime

89 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Noc oranžových ohňů

Czech title

Noc oranžových ohňů

English title

Night of Orange Fires

Summary

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.

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

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

Zdeněk Mlčoch

poručík VB

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

Jan Krafka

vězeň

Stanislav Litera

vězeň Tomáš Antl

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

Second Unit Director

Zdena Pavlátová

Assistant Director

Bohumil Koška, Věra Justová

Screenstory

Ivan Gariš

Shooting Script

Zbyněk Brynych

Director of Photography

Emil Sirotek

Second Unit Photography

Kamil Kadeřábek

Camera Operator

Karel Hurský

Production Designer

Jindřich Goetz

Assistent Production Designer

Rudolf Stahl nejml.

Set Designer

Jiří Bžoch, Karel Kracík, Dana Smržová

Costume Designer

Marta Kaplerová

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek

Assistant Film Editor

Ruth Čálková, Magda Hájková

Sound Designer

Ladislav Hausdorf

Production Manager

František Milič

Unit Production Manager

Ctibor Novotný, Věra Winkelhöferová

Unit Production Manager

Miloslav Doležal

Consultant

pplk. Jiří Karlíček, pplk. František Havlíček

Cooperation

Eliška Moulisová (klapka), Jaromír Komárek (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří Sternwald

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)

Studio

Hostivař

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