The Bell Will Not Toll for You

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1975

Production year

1975

Premiere

5 September 1975

Runtime

93 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Tobě hrana zvonit nebude

Czech title

Tobě hrana zvonit nebude

English title

The Bell Will Not Toll for You

Summary

Director Vojtěch Trapl was very much at ease with the post-1968 “normalisation” era storytelling required by Prague's Barrandov film studios. One example is found in this 1975 adaptation of Trapl’s own play. The directing debut of this film industry functionary, maker of instructional films, and opponent of cinema's Czechoslovak New Wave, leaves much to be desired in terms of craftsmanship, but more than makes up for it via its ideological fervour. In a story that takes place in the summer of 1968, state prosecutor Ronešová launches an investigation into an attack by an angry mob on the wife of a local communist. In court, Ronešová succeeds in uncovering the real culprit: a right-wing colleague who deliberately stirred things up... Jiřina Petrovická takes the lead role in this archetypal example of “normalisation” period filmmaking. Trapl would return to the big screen director’s chair two further times – albeit with similar results – via Vítězný lid (The Victorious People, 1977) and Velké přání (The Big Wish, 1981).

Synopsis

A young woman is driven through streets by a furious crowd and just a quick reaction of a driver rescues her from dying under a bus. It is the end of 1968 and the politically stirred time influences people's behaviour and their acting. The prosecuting attorney Olga Ronešová decides to accuse several town inhabitants present on the crime scene of not attempting to stop the crime. She can hardly collect witness and evidence. The crime victim Zorka Balcarová remains in psychiatrists' care. Olga gradually collects a mosaic of social relationships and events preceding the crime. An operating deputy manager Balcar, Zorka's husband is a communist of principle and he hinders many people. He punished workers for their not meeting job duties and their participation in demonstrations by reducing their wages. A journalist Voska filmed the whole tragic incident and after certain reluctance he gives the film to Ronešová. People are, however, filmed from their back and so it cannot be used as evidence. Olga's husband Karel does not stand by her and finally he moves away. Olga's daughter Majka describes the very beginning of the conflict - Balcarová tore down a poster labelling her husband a collaborationist. Voska, himself being sued by Olga, supplies her with the substantial part of the film, where there is Karel among the people. The mutual accusing of the sued at the court results in convicting the main culprit - the right wing lawyer Kahan who purposely provoked the beating and called the police only when it nearly turned into a tragedy.

Note

The role performed by Vladimír Švabík introduces himself at a hearing as Matěj Brebera, at the court they list him as Viktor Brebera.

Cast

Jiřina Petrovická

prokurátorka JUDr. Olga Ronešová

Josef Mixa

Ing. Karel Roneš, Olžin manžel

Eva Vaňátková

Majka, dcera Ronešových

Martin Růžek

obhájce JUDr. Pavel Kahan

Ladislav Šimek

vedoucí prodejny Antonín Kuchař

Zdena Burdová

Zorka Balcarová

Karel Vochoč

provozní náměstek Balcar, Zorčin manžel

Maria Secová

svědkyně Anna Smutná

Václav Švorc

redaktor Ivan Voska

Vladimír Švabík

obžalovaný Matěj Viktor Brebera

Karel Hábl

obžalovaný Jiří Pelda

Hana Davidová

obžalovaná vdova Yvona Přeskočilová

Oldřich Lukeš

JUDr. František Hanousek, okresní prokurátor

Lída Plachá

zapisovatelka Liduška Karešová

Miroslav Zounar

strážmistr VB Hošek

Bohuš Záhorský

profesor Valenta

Miroslav Suchý

Voice by Mirko Musil
mechanik Karel Vochoč

Josef Adlt

řidič autobusu Pilný

Jindřich Janda

Voice by Mirko Musil /pouze v exteriérové scéně/
Souček, Valentův přítel

Věra Galatíková

MUDr. Lacinová

Vladislav Dražďák

předseda senátu JUDr. Stočes

Zdeněk Šavrda

přísedící soudu Kofroň

Věra Koktová

přísedící soudu Havránková

Karel Augusta

muž rozdávající letáky

Karel Koloušek

intelektuál

Magda Maděrová

starší žena

Václav Bahník

Láďa

Zdeněk Černý

Tomášek, syn Balcarové

Slávka Hamouzová

žena na chodbě soudu

Stanislav Doubrava

chuligán

Jiří Křesťan

chuligán

Lubomír Rain

chuligán

Petr Svoboda

chuligán

Ludmila Tilkeridu

chuligánka

Marie Vysoká

chuligánka

Blažej Adamec

řidič

Ivana Kučerová

tanečnice

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Viktor Riebauer

Assistant Director

Tomáš Urban

Continuity

Eva Kubesová

Based on

Vojtěch Trapl (Tobě hrana zvonit nebude – divadelní hra)

Screenplay

Vojtěch Trapl

Shooting Script

Vojtěch Trapl

Director of Photography

Jiří Tarantík

Second Unit Photography

Jan Kváča

Camera Operator

Jiří Maxa

Production Designer

Karel Lier

Assistent Production Designer

Libuše Jahodová

Set Designer

Jaroslav Lehman, Josef Pavlík, Ladislav Rada

Costume Designer

Stella Drozdová

Assistant Film Editor

Růžena Hejsková, Jana Šimonová

Sound Designer

Adam Kajzar

Production Manager

Ladislav Kalaš

Unit Production Manager

Jaroslav Vlk, Jiří Holeček

Unit Production Manager

Vladimír Kubík

Cooperation

Blažena Motlíková (klapka), Miroslav Pešan (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Vladimír Soukup

Selected Music

Antonín Dvořák (Symfonie č. 9 e moll /Z Nového světa/), Antonín Dvořák (Koncert pro housle a orchestr a moll)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček)

Songs

Umřel mi můj milý

Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer dívčí sbor

Svatá válka /Vstavaj strana ogromnaja/

Song Composer Alexandr Vasiljevič Alexandrov
Writer of Lyrics Vasilij I. Lebeděv-Kumač
Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Tobě hrana zvonit nebude

Czech Title

Tobě hrana zvonit nebude

English Title

The Bell Will Not Toll for You

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1975

Production Year

1975

Production specifications

withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

preview 28 August 1975 (Hradec Králové)
premiere 4 September 1975 /suitable for youths/ (kino Paříž, Praha)
premiere 5 September 1975 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Výrobní skupina Věry Třeškové, Věra Třešková (vedoucí výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

93 min

Original length in metres

2 600 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

Awards

Vítěz

Exhibition: 20. přehlídka avantgardních a neorealistických filmů Avellino

1979
Avellino / Italy
československá kinematografie

Vítěz

Festival: 14. festival českých a slovenských filmů Brno

1976
Brno / Czechoslovakia
Vojtěch Trapl

Vítěz

Festival: 23. mezinárodní filmový festival San Sebastián

1975
San Sebastián / Spain