An Enemy Is at the Wheel

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1974

Production year

1974

Premiere

3 October 1975

Runtime

93 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Za volantem nepřítel

Czech title

Za volantem nepřítel

English title

An Enemy Is at the Wheel

Summary

Prague taxi service chief Mudroch (Miloš Willig) has no time for the irrational demands of his drivers for a pay rise. The drivers decide to strike and seek the support of the trade unions and “enemies of the state” in their fight against Murdoch. But the taxi firm boss is convinced that such an honest communist as himself cannot be overcome. Then saboteurs interfere with the brakes of his car… This 1974 drama made by a very old hand of filmmaking, Karel Steklý, amounts to a criticism of opponents of the contemporary regime. They are represented as indulging in dishonest intrigues in preparation for the 1968 disruption of the established political order. It is a forcible example of post-1968 “normalisation” cinema which makes use of many ideological clichés. The motion picture propagandistically presents honest comrades, corrupted long-haired citizens, taxi drivers who have no appetite for work and wicked emigrants stealing the wives of true communists. Today, the film might come across as an unintended comedy, but in its day, it clearly reflected the new doctrine of “normalisation” being pushed by the state.

Synopsis

Prague taxi drivers ask for an immoderate pay rise. Director Mudroch disapproves of their requirements, giving rise to their hostility. The drivers refuse to work and the chief dispatcher Chaluš is laughed at by them. They decide to win over director Mudroch, looking for support of anti-communists at the ministry and in the Trade Unions. On the contrary, Mudroch expects support from the ministry, but the office-holder Hlávka is not willing to burn his fingers, being threatened by anti-communist leaflets. Chaluš is aware of the company shortcomings, but his marriage problems prevail. His wife Zdena her ex-friend dates Rudolf who is back from emigration. Now, he talks her into leaving for the West with him. Mudroch struggles to cope with his new position, convinced that honest communists cannot be defeated. His hostile colleagues damage the brakes in his car. Chaluš learns from the driver Eugene that his wife is about to leave with Rudolf. He rushes to the airport with Mudroch. In the very last minute, Zdena changes her mind, leaving Rudolf at the airport. Mudroch's taxi crashed because of faulty brakes. Seriously injured Mudroch loses consciousness. His last words are: they can murder people, but they cannot win.

Cast

Miloš Willig

ředitel taxislužby Mudroch

Libuše Řídelová

Mudrochova manželka

Petr Skarke

hlavní dispečer taxislužby Chaluš

Regina Rázlová

trenérka plavání Zdena, Chalušova žena

Karel Hábl

Rudolf, bývalý Zdenin milý

Svatopluk Matyáš

Ing. Brotánek, pracovník ministerstva financí

Zdena Burdová

dispečerka Jana

Libuše Matějová

Bartošová, Rudolfova sestra

Jiří Němeček

předseda Ústřední rady odborů dr. Ončák

Josef Langmiler

šéfredaktor televizních novin Winter

Gustav Opočenský

taxikář Bláha, bývalý právník

Jan Skopeček

taxikář Hejtmánek

Jindřich Janda

funkcionář Ústřední rady odborů Hlávka

František Skřípek

Milan, Mudrochův syn

Bohumil Bezouška

taxikář Evžen

Oldřich Velen

taxikář Frühauf

Zdeněk Kryzánek

taxikář Soukup

Ivo Niederle

taxikář Koloušek

Vladimír Hrubý

taxikář Patočka

Jan Schánilec

taxikář Pařílek

Zdeněk Kutil

předseda ZO ROH Šíma

Jan Krafka

taxikář Víšek

Jiří Havel

taxikář Kupšík

Petr Pospíchal

taxikář Beznoska

Radan Rusev

taxikář Pazdírek

Antonín Hardt

strážmistr VB

Josef Hlinomaz

automobilista v aerovce

Magda Maděrová

dispečerka Jitka

Raoul Schránil

vrchní ve varieté

Stanislav Remunda

řidič autojeřábu

Miloš Vavruška

muž v oranžové bundě na ulici

Karel Peyr

Voice by Eduard Dubský
velvyslanecký rada

Bohumil Kňákal

taxikář

Zdeněk Braunschläger

taxikář/závozník

Ladislav Krečmer

zákazník na Hradčanském náměstí

Roman Hemala

Komárek

František Kubíček

Voice by Mirko Musil
normální muž na ulici

Kajetán Maudr

zřízenec v livreji

Rudolf Kalina

Voice by Vladimír Pospíšil
muž s baretem na ulici

Běla Veselá-Sobotková

tanečnice s ohněm

Jiřina Zemanová

květinářka

Petr Kučera

reportér s politiky

Zdenek Zaoral

brýlatý muž ve vinárně

Jarmila Švehlová

dívka u podpisových archů

Jiří Tomek (hudebník)

hudebník

Jaroslav Tomsa

dubl za Miloše Williga

motoristický oddíl Dukla Benešov

motocyklisté

Dubbing

Mirko Musil

hlas šedovlasého muže u podpisových archů

Petr Svojtka

hlas vlasáče na ulici

Jiří Valenta

hlas z rozhlasu

Jiří Krampol

hlas publicisty Vladimíra Toska v televizoru

Alena Karešová

hlas z televizoru

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Zdenek Zaoral

Assistant Director

Jiří Koníček

Continuity

Eva Truchlá

Screenstory

Miroslav Müller

Screenplay

Karel Steklý

Shooting Script

Karel Steklý

Director of Photography

František Uldrich

Second Unit Photography

Pavel Nečesal

Camera Operator

Antonín Šimral

Production Designer

Věra Líznerová

Assistent Production Designer

Jan Kňákal

Set Designer

Miroslav Himmer, Marcel Kříž, Eva Slívová

Costume Designer

Svatava Sophová

Assistant Film Editor

Anna Mejtská

Sound Designer

Jiří Hora

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

Jiří Zika

Unit Production Manager

Karel Prchal, Vladimír Tišer

Unit Production Manager

Václav Veruněk

Cooperation

Regina Svobodová (klapka), Miroslav Pešan (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jan Seidel

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Songs

Bum, bum, bum

Song Composer Ladislav Štaidl
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Karel Gott

Kupředu, zpátky ni krok

Song Composer Jan Seidel

Production info

Original Title

Za volantem nepřítel

Czech Title

Za volantem nepřítel

English Title

An Enemy Is at the Wheel

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1974

Production Year

1974

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 8 March 1974
start of filming 8 April 1974
technical Screenplay approved 21 May 1974
end of filming 18 November 1974
projection approval 22 November 1974
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

festival premiere 26 February 1975 (13. festival českých a slovenských filmů Praha /kino Světozor, Praha/)
premiere 25 September 1975 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Světozor, Praha)
premiere 3 October 1975 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Karla Copa, Karel Cop (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

93 min

Original length in metres

2 681 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66, 1:2,35

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Exhibition: 17. přehlídka avantgardních a neorealistických filmů Avellino

1976
Avellino / Italy

Vítěz

Festival: 13. festival českých a slovenských filmů Praha

1975
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Miloš Willig