The Downfall of the Secluded Berhof

Country

Czechoslovakia, Poland

Copyright

1983

Production year

1983

Premiere

1 March 1985

Runtime

98 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Zánik samoty Berhof

Czech title

Zánik samoty Berhof

English title

The Downfall of the Secluded Berhof

Co-production title

Ślady wilczych zębów

Summary

Author and screenwriter Vladimír Körner brought to life numerous interesting projects realised together with director František Vláčil, but he also expanded his filmography through collaboration with Jiří Svoboda. Zánik samoty Berhof (The Downfall of the Secluded Berhof, 1983), inspired by the writer’s eponymous book published in 1973, takes place during the first “free” summer following the end of World War II. However, the woods of the Jeseníky Mountains still harbour groups of German “werewolves” trying to cross into their homeland. One such band arrives at a secluded estate owned by the farmer Habiger (Ladislav Křiváček). A trio of young men under the leadership of the nun Salome (Jana Brejchová), a hard-core Nazi, arrive at the farm and begin terrorising its residents. However, the relationships that develop between the intruders and the oppressed are not all black and white. The main protagonist of the story is Habiger’s pious adolescent daughter, Ulrika (Petronela Vančíková), who is fascinated by Salome despite her own beliefs.

Synopsis

The first post-war summer in the mountains on the border of Czechoslovakia, Poland and Germany is rather unsettled. The mountains are still full of sabotage groups of the so-called werewolves - German soldiers who cannot cope with the defeat of the Fascist Germany and do not hesitate to kill on their way home. A peasant named Habiger lives on a secluded farmstead. His wife just died and he was left alone with his teenage daughter Ulrika. A peddler named Gustl is supposed to bring over a priest but, instead, arrives with a woman, Tylda, who wants to hide from the people's anger because she had contacts with the SS officers. The old Florian, who also lives in a secluded cottage, gives shelter to a young and sick German named Erich. In the morning, constable Lašica finds Florián nailed to the cottage door. A young lieutenant and a group of soldiers search for the murderer. Ulrika meets a nun named Salome on the way from the funeral and lets her sleep over in her small room. But the next day, Salome returns with two armed young men. People also bring Erich at night. Lašica warns Habiger about the danger and is killed in no time. The young men terrorize the farmstead's inhabitants and even tie Habiger and Tylda up. They release them only when the cow begins to calve. The nun sends Ulrika to the town to get medication and some forged documents. A German pharmacist draws the lieutenant's attention to Ulrika. The officer can sense that something is going on at Berhof, but Ulrika does not betray anything. Habiger catches the two young men in bed with Tilda and kills them with a pitchfork in anger. Ulrika takes the sick Erich away from Berhof. The farmstead is surrounded by the lieutenant and the soldiers. Salome changes into trousers and an army blouse and walks towards the soldiers. Putting her hand in her pocket, she is shot dead by one of them. Salome, however, was not going to produce a weapon - she was just holding a war cross in her hand.

Film online

Cast

Jana Brejchová

jeptiška Salome

Ladislav Křiváček

hospodář Alfred Habiger

Petronela Vančíková

Ulrika, Habigerova dcera

Marek Probosz

werwolf Detlev

Zbigniew Suszyński

werwolf Unkas

Vítězslav Pohanka

Voice by Gustav Bubník
werwolf Erich Hert

Evelyna Steimarová

prostitutka Tylda

Štefan Mišovic

četnický strážmistr Lašica

Jerzy Nowak

Florián

Mirosława Marcheluk

polská číšnice

Vladimír Huber

německý lékárník

Leon Niemczyk

polský důstojník

Zdeněk Rumpík

Voice by Svatopluk Skopal
voják

Jan Kočí

voják

Tadeusz Somogi

důstojník

René Pelikán

řidič

Jiří D. Novotný

štábní písař

Eva Horáková

tanečnice na zábavě

Jiří Havel (3)

tanečník na zábavě

Miloš Karban

tanečník na zábavě

Monika Karbanová

tanečnice na zábavě

Jiří Velek

tanečník na zábavě

Milena Veleková

tanečnice na zábavě

Jan Laibl

muž šlapající měchy varhan

Josef Fečo

muzikant

Ladislav Kulan

muzikant

Jaroslav Mareš

muž v hospodě

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Andrzej Reiter, Hana Hanušová

Assistant Director

Urszula Kłoda /ž/, Zora Vondráčková

Based on

Vladimír Körner (Zánik samoty Berhof – novela)

Shooting Script

Jiří Svoboda

Dramaturg

Karel Cop

Director of Photography

Vladimír Smutný

Second Unit Photography

Jiří Pechar

Production Designer

Bogdan Mozer, Boris Moravec

Assistent Production Designer

Ewa Kossowska, Roman Květoň, Jaroslav Řeřicha

Set Designer

Jan Hodný, Karel Kočí, Bohumil Kadlec, Jan Klíma, Zbigniew Pakuła

Costume Designer

Šárka Hejnová

Film Editor

Josef Valušiak

Assistant Film Editor

Jan Svoboda, Jana Šimonová

Sound Designer

Jiří Moudrý

Production Manager

Petr Čapek, Urszula Orczykowska

Unit Production Manager

Jacek Gwizdała, Hana Jarošová, Zygmunt Wójcik, Evelyna Vrbová

Unit Production Manager

Tomasz Matusiak, Jan Kočí, Małgorzata Kaczmarek, Sabina Olczak, Krzysztof Poddębski

Consultant

Zbyšek Svoboda

Cooperation

Jarmila Holubová (klapka), Zdeněk Vávra (fotograf), Milan Ťoupalík

Music

Music Composed by

Jozef Revallo

Music Performed by

Jozef Revallo

Songs

Muziky, muziky

Song Composer František Kmoch
Writer of Lyrics František Kudrna
Singer sbor

Cikán, černý cikán

Song Composer Jiří ČervenýAdolf Školka /úprava/
Writer of Lyrics Tomáš HertanAdolf Školka /úprava/
Singer Ladislav Křiváček

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

Song Composer lidová německá píseň
Writer of Lyrics Ernst Anschütz
Singer Petra Vančíková

Koupím já si koně vraný

Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer sbor

A já sám vždycky sám

Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Zánik samoty Berhof

Czech Title

Zánik samoty Berhof

English Title

The Downfall of the Secluded Berhof

Co-production Title

Ślady wilczych zębów

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia, Poland

Copyright

1983

Production Year

1983

Production specifications

withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1991

Premiere

premiere 1 March 1985 /unsuitable for youths/

Creative Group

2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Josef Císař (vedoucí 2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny), Zespół Filmowy Kadr (PRF Zespoły Filmowe), Jerzy Kawalerowicz (vedoucí Zespól Filmowy Kadr)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

98 min

Original length in metres

2 790 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, German, Polish

Subtitles languages

Czech

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Festival: 36. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´85

1985
70 měst / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 24. mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary

1984
Karlovy Vary / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 24. mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary

1984
Karlovy Vary / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Event: 19. mezinárodní setkání filmu a mládeže Cannes

1984
Cannes / France

Vítěz

Festival: 22. festival českých a slovenských filmů Banská Bystrica

1984
Banská Bystrica / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Event: 19. mezinárodní setkání filmu a mládeže Cannes

1984
Cannes / France