Diagnosis of Death
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1979Production year
1978—1979Premiere
14 December 1979Runtime
85 minDirector
Petr SchulhoffCategory
filmGenre
detective, crimeTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Diagnóza smrtiCzech title
Diagnóza smrtiEnglish title
Diagnosis of DeathWorking title
Pokoj č. 5Summary
The charismatic Major Kalaš, as played by the acclaimed Rudolf Hrušínský, was first introduced to filmgoers in 1963 by director Petr Schulhoff with the release of Strach (Fear). Hrušínský went on to appear as the sharp-witted detective in three more films, namely Vrah skrývá tvář (The Murderer Hides his Face, 1966), Po stopách krve (On the Trail of Blood, 1969), and finally in Diagnóza smrti (1979). This last detective thriller sees the Major, together with Lieutenant Martinec (Vilém Besser), investigate an ostensible car accident. The story relates how the destinies of the smash-up's two severely injured people are fatally intertwined. Truck driver Linhart can only be saved with a kidney transplant; and the donor could be the woman found in the woods – his lover Kateřina Marková. A fresh, direct trail then leads the detectives to some unexpected perpetrators... The leading actors deliver undeniably superb performances in this final adventure of Major Kalaš. The film is also lifted by the narrative atmosphere and the the plausibility of the plot, bound by the motif of guilt and punishment. Diagnóza smrti is actually rather more than a standard crime genre movie. Audiences will find it reminiscent of a psychological tale with elements of a detective flick.
Synopsis
Two seriously injured patients are brought to the hospital at almost the same time: truck driver Honza Linhart, who had an accident, and a young woman found unconscious in a forest by a man picking mushrooms. The woman is identified as Kateřina Marková, the divorced mother of a young girl. Major Kalaš and Lieutenant Martinec suspect that she is a victim of mugging since a bloodstained small axe has been found near the site of the crime and, according to witnesses, Ms Marková was missing her watch and a bracelet, from which a gemstone has also been discovered. Linhart has lost his only kidney in the accident; in order to live a normal life again, he will need a kidney transplant from the mugged woman if she dies. Honza's wife learns about this from a nurse and begins to take interest in the woman. It comes to light that Marková is in fact her husband's mistress. Marková dies and the criminologists are already investigating her case as a murder. Ivan Vajner, who was Marková dating, is eliminated as the potential killer, and later so too is Linhart, who has confided in his friend Bártl that he was going to have a baby with Marková. Kalaš visits Linhartová's home and he recognises the bracelet missing the gemstone found near Marková in the woods. Linhartová does not deny the charge. She had found out about Honza's relationship with Marková, met the woman in the woods and hit her with the axe. She also took a bracelet, which belonged her before. Before taking the captive to prison, Kalaš allows the woman one last visit to her husband at the hospital.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Rudolf Hrušínský
major Kalaš
Drahomíra Hofmanová
Linhartová
Alexandra Gasnárková
Valentová/Kateřina Marková, sestra Valentové
Vilém Besser
poručík Martinec
Zdeněk Ornest
chirurg MUDr. Zíbrt
Jiří Wohanka
řidič Honza, manžel Linhartové
Jan Pohan
praporčík VB v civilu
Zdeněk Martínek
profesor Kovanda
Vítězslav Jandák
Ivan Vajner, Kateřinin milenec
Blanka Hlavová
zdravotní sestra Marie
Petr Čepek
majitel chaty Tomáš Bártl
Jana Andresíková
zdravotní sestra Milada
Marie Marešová
Verešová
Stanislav Litera
praporčík VB
Radvana Havelková
Vajnerová, Ivanova matka
Jiří Žák
podpraporčík VB
Zoja Pistoriusová
zdravotní sestra
Jana Henžlová
zdravotní sestra
Věra Bartůňková
zdravotní sestra
Miloslava Dudranová
zdravotní sestra
Ludmila Plívová
zdravotní sestra
Marcela Stoklásková
zdravotní sestra
Milada Ježková
tetka
Svatava Smoláková
babka
Vladimír Ptáček
hospodský
Karel Nonner
neurolog ve službě
Jaromír Šnajdr
neurolog
Josef Havel
civilista
Vlastimil Čaněk
motocyklista
Jiřina Bílá
barmanka
Karel Vavřík
svědek nehody
Andrea Bevelaguová
Janička
Jiří Havlík
neurolog Kavan
Karel Smrž
houbař
Zdeněk Hrdlička
elektronik operačního sálu
Václav Hrůza
řidič VB
Stanislav Šmíd
příslušník VB
Gustav Vondráček
strážmistr
Jaroslav Hostička
lékař
Ivan Vaněk
lékař
Jiří Holeček
dělník ve skladu
Milada Hořická
dubl za Alexandru Gasnárkovou
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Zdeněk Pazdírek
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Bedřich Čermák, Bohuslav Varhaník, Milan Šefrna
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jiří Radil, Jaroslav Smola
Unit Production Manager
Jiří Potsch
Consultant
mjr. Jaroslav Buchar, MUDr. Ladislav Hahn, MUDr. Jiří Pešek
Cooperation
Miloš Schmiedberger (fotograf), Jana Kafková (2)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Production info
Original Title
Diagnóza smrti
Czech Title
Diagnóza smrti
English Title
Diagnosis of Death
Working Title
Pokoj č. 5
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
detective, crime
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1979
Production Year
1978—1979
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 7 June 1978
start of filming 1 September 1978
technical Screenplay approved 5 October 1978
end of filming 28 February 1979
projection approval 29 March 1979
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986
Premiere
premiere 14 December 1979 /unsuitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
85 min
Original length in metres
2 451 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
