Wrath

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1977

Production year

1977

Premiere

6 October 1978

Runtime

89 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Hněv

Czech title

Hněv

English title

Wrath

Summary

The Klement Gottwald coal mine in Vinařice serves as the backdrop for this dramatic story about Hepnar, an aged miner who has devoted his whole life to toiling underground. He dwells on how in 1967 the state decided that coal extraction would have to be reduced because several coal deposits were nearly exhausted. To prevent the mine from being closed, Hepnar decides to search, on his own accord, for a new coal seam using old maps. His son Ivan is killed during this risky endeavour, but the seam is discovered and the colliery is saved from closure… It was in 1977 that Zbyněk Brynych took on the task of shooting this “building a better socialist future” drama. The fictitious story of an individual was supposed to support the state’s decision to persist with uneconomic coal extraction. Václav Neužil, also known for his performances in films such as Zbraně pro Prahu (Weapons for Prague, 1974), Lidé z metra (People from the Subway, 1974) and Vítězný lid (The Victorious People, 1977), takes the film’s leading role. The protagonist’s sons in this state-ordered propagandistic period movie are played by Jiří Štěpnička and Tomáš Töpfer.

Synopsis

Sunday in September 1977, a celebration of the Miners Day. The old Hepnar is sitting at the cemetery and is recalling events from ten years ago. That time the representative of the ministry Barvíř announced at the miners meeting that mining in the mines would decrease. He reasoned this decision by the fact the deposits of coal are almost used up. The boss of the mine and most of the miners protested. Barvíř did not take their critical objections into account. He announced at the communist district meeting the closure of the business as the mine according to new economic principles did not prosper. He was supported by the secretary of the municipality Zima who wanted to rebuild the town into a spa complex. On the contrary, the mayor Foglar was supporting the miners. Hepnar did not accept the destruction of the mines. He recalled some old maps of the underground which belonged to the former owner. According to these maps there was still a great deposit of coal. Hepnar and his retired friends get at night to the pit, where they believe to find coal. When two of his sons realize that their father is in the mine, they set off to find him. After their arrival there is a cave-in, but behind the caved-in timbering there is lot of coal. This costs however Hepnar's son Ivan life. Other miners are rescued and the pit as well. Only Hepnar taxes himself with the fact he killed his own son. The second son Richard and his children are the only comfort for him.

Cast

Václav Neužil

starý horník Hepnar

Miloslav Holub

starý horník Karbaš zvaný Rozbuška

Jiří Štěpnička

horník Richard, Hepnarův syn

Tomáš Töpfer

horník Ivan, Hepnarův syn

Vanda Švarcová

Helena, Ivanova žena

Jana Švandová

kantýnská Manka, Richardova přítelkyně

Vlasta Vlasáková

lékařka zvaná Železná panna

Karel Dellapina

horník Zrzek

Milan Riehs

ředitel dolu

Vlastimil Fišar

docent Barvíř, zástupce ministerstva

Nina Bártů

stařenka Božena Kubešová

Alois Liškutín

tajemník MNV Zima

Jana Drbohlavová

Zimova žena

Vladimír Ptáček

horník Kozel

Václav Stýblo

předseda MNV Karel Fejfar

Květoslava Kachlíková

Liduška, Fejfarova žena

Karel Tieftrunk

předseda ZO KSČ

Oldřich Lukeš

vrátný Hozák

Petr Herrmann

horník Fero

Karel Vavřík

Němec Tony

Mirko Musil

řidič Toník

Vladimír Kudla

mladý horník

Vítězslav Černý

kuchař Vašek

Vít Olmer

reportér z televize

Jiřina Chlumská

ředitelova žena

Jan Cmíral

horník Valchař

Brigáda soc. pr. dolu KG-Vinařice

Jindřich Petráň

vedoucí brigády

Stanislav Thon

člen brigády

Rudolf Valím

člen brigády

Bohumil Polívka

člen brigády

Zdeněk Prokop

člen brigády

Antonín Černý

Houra

Karel Červinka

horník

Zbygniew Jassa

horník

František Klika (2)

horník

Ondřej Kopper

horník

Vlastimil Pokorný

horník

Václav Hladík

horník Kozel

Josef Ševčík

horník

Michal Wang

horník

Josef Havel

Eman

Vlasta Gottwaldová

zdravotní sestra

Milan Klásek

strojník

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

František Matoušek

Assistant Director

Ivan Fíla

Screenstory

Karel Valtera

Shooting Script

Zbyněk Brynych

Dramaturg

Zdeněk Dufek

Director of Photography

Jiří Tarantík

Second Unit Photography

Rudolf Holan

Camera Operator

Jan Hanzal

Production Designer

Milan Nejedlý

Assistent Production Designer

Josef Kraus

Set Designer

Zdenka Neškrdová, Karel Kracík, Miloš Sršeň

Costume Designer

Jiří Sochovský

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek

Assistant Film Editor

Magda Hájková, Helena Lehovcová

Sound Designer

Oldřich Tichý

Production Manager

Blažej Vráb

Unit Production Manager

Rudolf Mos, Vlastimil Maršálek

Unit Production Manager

Hana Štefanová

Consultant

Ing. Cyril Matušek

Cooperation

Helena Kadlecová (klapka), Jaromír Komárek (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Ladislav Štaidl

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Orchestr Ladislava Štaidla

Songs

Melodie beze slov

Song Composer Ladislav Štaidl
Singer Marie Rottrová

Přijela pouť

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

Děvčátko z kolonie

Song Composer Rudolf Kubín
Writer of Lyrics Josef SládekVáclav RumlRudolf Kubín
Singer mužský hlas

Havířova růže

Song Composer Jan Korda
Writer of Lyrics Václav Zeman

Production info

Original Title

Hněv

Czech Title

Hněv

English Title

Wrath

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1977

Production Year

1977

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 19 April 1977
start of filming 23 May 1977
technical Screenplay approved 16 June 1977
end of filming 29 November 1977
projection approval 19 December 1977
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

premiere 6 October 1978 /suitable for youths/

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

2 573 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