Few Czech films released prior to the 1989 revolution concerned themselves with the topic of the Roma. One of the few that did was crime thriller Radikální řez (A Radical Cut, 1983), inspired by Josef Klíma’s 1983 novel. The screenwriter and director Dušan Klein chose a Roma community primarily to provide a colourful background for a story about passions stirred by a beautiful Roman girl Naha (Monika Žigová) in her two half-brothers of contrasting characters. The half-siblings, Tom and Pavel, are incidentally the sons of district planner Ruml (Ilja Racek) who intends to demolish the Roma’s homes and use the land for a modern housing estate. When Tom is murdered, the inhabitants of the dwellings become prime suspects. However, the investigators, one of whom is of Roma descent, find the culprit outside the community… Marián Labuda stars as Roma baron Tancoš in a feature that presents a contemporarily conditioned perspective on the Roma.
Tom, the son of an architect called Ruml, is found with his throat cut in a Gypsy neighbourhood. A new housing estate, designed by Ruml, is to be built in place of the gypsy houses. The Gypsies do not want to leave their homes. The investigation is headed by captain Smolina, lieutenant Takáč of Gypsy origin and the young criminalist Weiner. The architect sees the case as clear: it was Gypsy revenge. It seems that his opinion is substantiated, especially when Ruml's other son, Pavel, disappears. The investigation takes several directions. Weiner finds a semi-nude of a beautiful Gypsy girl in the room of Tom who studied painting. He soon meets the girl, named Naha, and learns about her sad story during their second encounter. After posing for Tom, the young man took her to a wine cellar and he and his two friends then violated her in his father's villa. The architect Ruml keeps convincing his friend, a police superintendent, that the murder was committed by the Gypsies. But the case gets complicated by Naha's violent death. The Gypsy baron Tancoš accuses Tom's stepbrother Pavel of her murder. Takáč subsequently learns from Naha's friend that Pavel indeed often visited Naha, and the investigation thus speeds up. In the course of events, Ruml finds out about the truth and takes Pavel to a mental hospital in an attempt to protect him. But Pavel is sane and responsible for his actions. He was in love with Naha and Tom's death was the punishment for raping her. He did not want to kill Naha; he hit her in passion because she did not want to stay with him. The Gypsies were freed from suspicion and Weiner and Takáč take part in the traditional ritual at the funeral of the murdered girl.
Voice by Michal Pavlata
kriminalista Jindřich Weiner
kriminalista kapitán Rudolf Smolina
Voice by Jan Pohan
kriminalista poručík Takáč
Voice by Yvetta Blanarovičová
Harapamíra uzvaná Naha
architekt Robert Ruml
Kristýna, Rumlova žena
Jana, Rumlova první žena
muzikant Koloman Horvath
cikánský baron Tancoš
hudebník Jiří Pockert, milenec Kristýny
náčelník kriminálky, podplukovník
drbna Dobiášová
Janda
Tom, Rumlův starší syn s Janou
Pavel, Rumlův mladší syn s Kristýnou
policejní lékař
vrchní
zelinář
Voice by Andrej Hryc
Farkaš
Ramas
Farkašova žena
Ramasova žena
Baláž
žena v plavkách
otec Nahy
mladý cikán s kytarou
Jůlinka
Aladar
Voice by Daniela Bartáková
nevěsta Mura
ženich Štefan
Repacký
řidič vnitra
barmanka
Voice by Gustav Bubník
Fero, bratr Nahy
Karči
Kůrka
Adámek
dozorčí VB
Dežo, syn Ramasových
tajemník ONV
sekretářka tajemníka ONV
poručík VB
kriminalista
recepční
Aladar
Berka
Repacká
malý Baláž
dubl za Moniku Žigovou
řidič volhy
ředitel školy
Voice by Mirko Musil
učitel Řeřicha
stavbyvedoucí
kapelník
hudebník
hudebník
Dr. Vaněk
Berková
vousáč
Gejza
fotograf
úřednice
Voice by Mirko Musil
psychiatr
hlas Pavlova blonďatého spolužáka
Vít Horálek
Josef Klíma (Radikální řez – kniha)
Rudolf Beneš, Bedřich Čermák, Jaroslav Lehman
Bohdan Kysil, Václav Veruněk
mjr. Stanislav Šimek, Dr. Jiří Vyšín, MUDr. Přemysl Strejc
Lenka Rambousková (klapka), Vladimír Souček (fotograf)
FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), Soubor Romen
Song Composer Zdeněk Marat
Writer of Lyrics Emil ŠčukaMarta Bandyová
Singer Soubor RomenMonika Žigová [dab]Yvetta Blanarovičová
Radikální řez
Radikální řez
A Radical Cut
film
featuretheatrical distribution
crime
Czechoslovakia
1983
1983
literary Screenplay approved 19 November 1982
start of filming 3 June 1983
technical Screenplay approved 6 June 1983
end of filming 21 November 1983
projection approval 25 November 1983
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1989
premiere 1 September 1984 /unsuitable for youths/
5. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Miloslav Vydra (vedoucí 5. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)
feature film
83 min
2 359 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech, Romany
without subtitles
Czech
Exhibition: 4. soutěžní přehlídka filmů a televizních pořadů s bezpečnostní tematikou Terezín
1985
Terezín / Czechoslovakia