This 1975 drama from director Václav Matějka tells the story of a turbulent relationship between a mother and son. Lead character Petr is released from a correctional institute, where the young delinquent trained to become a cabinet maker. The young man moves back to living with his waitress mother and tries to build a new life. However, Petr disapproves of, and cannot live with, his mother’s second marriage. Fortunately, he is prevented from going off the rails by a group of workers building a new apartment complex... Matějka also served as the screenwriter of this narrative, fulfilling the ideological viewpoint of the time which emphasised how hard work can set right young offenders. Otakar Brousek Jr., takes the lead role, while Karolina Slunéčková portrays Petr’s mother. Her new partner is played by Josef Somr. Vladimír Menšík offers a strong performance as Petr's paternalistic boss Rána.
A quarrel between divorced waitress Mája and her fifteen-year-old son Petr ends with the boy physically attacking his mother, and he is sent to an institution for juvenile delinquents. Over three years Petr successfully trains and qualifies as a carpenter, but consistently refuses to see his mother. Nonetheless, the experienced director Janeš hopes that Petr will manage to make a new life for himself with his mother. Petr is now of age and returns to Prague. He doesn't hit it off with his mother's lover Šáňo, even though the still attractive Mája is very keen for the two to be friends. Petr starts working on the building site of a new housing estate in Foreman Rána's team. He works well, and when after a time he confesses to Rána that he has spent years in an institution, he finds that the foreman knew about it from the beginning. Petr's relations with his mother are marred by constant disputes. He is resentful that his mother's lover, who has promised her marriage, always takes precedence over him. At a works party Petr gets together with Rána's daughter Vendula. As a father the foreman isn't so liberal; at first he tries to stop the relationship but later he apologizes to Petr. While Petr is working in a new flat the future tenant arrives - it is Šáňo with a wife and children. Petr tells him what he thinks of him, but Mája later accuses Petr of interfering in her private life and the break seems to be final. Full of anger, the young man goes to see Janeš, who tries to get him to be more tolerant, explaining that his mother is afraid of growing old alone. Mája comes to see Petr to explain herself properly. She goes home alone, but she hopes that her son will come back to her in the end.
Petr Bystřický
servírka Marie zvaná Mája, Petrova matka
ředitel výchovného ústavu Janeš
závozník Šáňo, Májin milenec
mistr truhlář Antonín Rána
Ránova žena
Vendula, dcera Ránových
vychovatel Horák
vychovatel
Blanka, Petrova sousedka
truhlář Franta
truhlář zvaný Hezoun
dělník
kuchař Vratislav Majer zvaný Divíš
Šáňova žena
ředitel Kadlec
Berdych
vychovatelka
mistr Kolář
servírka
Drobeček, chovanec ústavu
Jáchym, chovanec ústavu
Slušňák, chovanec ústavu
Jiříček, chovanec ústavu
Fráňa, chovanec ústavu
Pepíček, chovanec ústavu
chovanec ústavu
Sonička, Hezounova snoubenka
doručovatelka
Marie
vrchní Racek
Anička
budoucí nájemník
nájemníkova žena
host v restauraci
Jarda, člen vedení
Hruška
Ferdásek
Ferdásková
lékař
vousatý řidič
Maruška
chovanec ústavu
chovanec ústavu
chovanec ústavu
chovanec ústavu
pomocnice v kuchyni Pechlátová
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
Šánův syn
soused Martínek
Magda
Tony
Carda
Béla
zpěvák
zpěvačka
Jarmila
hlas psychologa
Jaroslav Česal, Karel Kočí, Stanislav Krejča
Jana Fischerová
Zdeněk Mičulka
Helena Matušková (klapka), Miloslav Mirvald (fotograf)
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Jazz Q (Music Conducted by Martin Kratochvíl)
Song Composer Martin Kratochvíl
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Merta
Singer Otakar Brousek ml.
Singer Vladimír MenšíkKarel AugustaLenka KořínkováOtakar Brousek ml.Jiří WohankaLubomír Kostelka
Singer V. KřečekD. Nikendysová
Song Composer Arnošt Mošna
Writer of Lyrics Jan Korda
Singer V. Křeček
Singer Lenka Filipová
Pomerančový kluk
Pomerančový kluk
Orange Boy
Druhý dech
film
featuretheatrical distribution
psychological
Czechoslovakia
1975
1975
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
premiere 6 February 1976 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
gala premiere 6 February 1976 (kino Hostinné, Hostinné)
premiere 4 March 1976 /suitable for youths/ (kina Sevastopol a Flora, Praha)
Dramaturgická skupina Karla Copa, Karel Cop (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
feature film
93 min
2 596 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,66
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech