The Concert

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1980

Production year

1980

Premiere

17 July 1981

Runtime

69 min

Director

Jan Schmidt

Category

film

Genre

music, crime

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Koncert

Czech title

Koncert

English title

The Concert

Summary

Director Jan Schmidt, one of the prominent representatives of the 1960s Czechoslovak New Wave, above all continued his successful career in the 1970s with a markedly popular trilogy inspired by Eduard Štorch novels set in the prehistoric period. However, this 1980 criminal drama from Schmidt is a story of two escaped prisoners who seek to hide from the pursuit of justice among a rock concert audience. On their way to the border with Germany which they intend to cross illegally, the convicts do not even stop short of murder. It is this film's attempt at describing the early days of Czech rock music that proves most interesting rather than the core crime narrative. The dubiousness of using a rock concert as an environment that would naturally attract criminals is somewhat balanced out by Schmidt’s efforts at maintaining the authenticity of that said environment. This is primarily assisted by professional singer Petra Janů taking a role. The budding rock star achieved nationwide popularity with her album Exploduj! (Explode!), recorded with Pilsen-based band Bumerang and released the same year as this film.

Synopsis

Two criminals managed to escape from jail - Daman and Kejchal, nicknamed the Snow White. The Snow White kills a forest worker in a lonely caravan. On their way to the border state crossing they get near a sports stadium, at which some people prepare a rock concert. The police wants to ban the concert, but they cannot resist the fans of the rock band Bumerang and its singer Petra Janů. The fugitives see a chance to hide in the crowd of fans, pushing their way through to the stadium. The atmosphere in the rock band is not friendly. Its leader Pavel is a self-confident person, often arrogant towards his colleagues. Most musicians got already used to his strange behaviour, but a new guitar player Roman is afraid of him and has a strong stagefright. Before the concert, he met a young girl Renata who loves rock music. Roman's guitar breaks down at the concert, and he has to leave. He is convinced that his music carrer is over. The singer Petra is being also rude to him too in the changing room, while suddenly both the fugitives enter, taking them all for hostages, asking for air tickets and a car to the airport. The police promise to follow their requirements, but on entering the car, the trained task force paralyse the criminals and release the hostages. Pavel, the band leader, considers the whole event a good publicity. His attitude makes Renata angry; she insists that Roman leaves the band. However, he decides to stay, hoping to finally make a breakthrough.

Cast

Petra Janů

zpěvačka Petra

Ivan Pokorný

vězeň Marian Kejchal zvaný Sněhurka

Jaroslav Tomsa

Voice by Jan Teplý
vězeň Josef Daman zvaný Daun

Martin Stropnický

kytarista Roman Horák

Vladimír Kratina

zvukař Honza

Zdeněk Dušek

technik Ota

Pavel Rímský

vedoucí skupiny Pavel

Jiří Žák

kriminalista

Zbyněk Bruthans

pořadatel Vaníček

Michal Zelenka

manažer skupiny Bumerang

Radoslav Křemenák

basista skupiny Bumerang

Richard Kybic

kytarista skupiny Bumerang

Jiří Lang

bubeník skupiny Bumerang

Vladimír Nový

klávesista skupiny Bumerang

Václav Erban

on sám, major Erban z Federální kriminální ústředny

Václav Hladík

místní funkcionář

Vlastimil Čaněk

řidič nákladního auta

Crew and creators

Director

Jan Schmidt

Second Unit Director

František Matoušek

Continuity

Jana Goetzová

Shooting Script

Jan Schmidt

Director of Photography

Jiří Macák

Second Unit Photography

Stanislav Kautský

Camera Operator

Ivan Šimůnek, Jan Hanzal

Production Designer

Jindřich Goetz

Assistent Production Designer

Jaromír Švarc

Set Designer

Bedřich Čermák

Costume Designer

Theodor Pištěk ml.

Make-Up Artist

Jiří Šimon

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek

Sound Designer

Jiří Kříž

Production Manager

Ladislav Novotný

Unit Production Manager

Petr Čapek, Jiří Ulrich ml.

Consultant

plk. Josef Janůrek

Cooperation

Alena Červená (fotografka)

Music

Music Composed by

Ota Petřina

Music Performed by

skupina Bumerang

Songs

Koncert končí

Song Composer Ota Petřina
Writer of Lyrics Ota Petřina
Singer Petra Janů

Vabank

Song Composer Ota Petřina
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Petra Janů

Příběh Gabriela

Song Composer Ota Petřina
Writer of Lyrics Ota Petřina
Singer Petra Janůskupina Bumerang

Jen jestli...

Song Composer Ota Petřina
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Rytíř
Singer Petra Janů

Production info

Original Title

Koncert

Czech Title

Koncert

English Title

The Concert

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

music, crime

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1980

Production Year

1980

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 1 March 1979
start of filming 12 March 1980
technical Screenplay approved 30 April 1980
end of filming 26 September 1980
projection approval 11 November 1980
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1991

Premiere

premiere 17 July 1981 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Karla Valtery, Karel Valtera (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

69 min

Original length in metres

1 960 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech