Scalpel, Please!

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1985

Production year

1984—1985

Premiere

1 March 1986

Runtime

114 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Skalpel, prosím

Czech title

Skalpel, prosím

English title

Scalpel, Please!

Summary

This 1985 psychological drama from screenwriter-director Jiří Svoboda explores the notion of the doctor as a moral authority, who within the framework of their everyday work must face questions of life and death. The film is adapted from a novel by Valja Stýblová, in which the author draws upon her personal experiences as a former neurosurgeon. But the professional dilemmas of Svoboda’s lead character transcend ethics and touch upon wider questions of morality. The protagonist of this drama is an ageing professor, based at a Prague neurological clinic, who is haunted by issues concerning his own principles and values, and also by the case of a young patient, Víťa, afflicted with an inoperable tumour. The professor’s colleagues are also faced with a number of serious issues: Doctor Volejníková caused the death of a patient; and associate professor Krtek’s only daughter is dying of leukaemia. When Krtek decides to operate on little Víťa despite the prognosis, the old professor adopts his colleague’s optimism that the boy’s life might be saved after all. And so the ultimate lesson is that despite the obstacles, a life of devoted service to others is enough to produce a sense of hope … Svoboda’s professionally crafted classic drama adds flesh to the lead character through personal recollections and scenes from the experienced physician’s private life involving wife Jitka and son Ondřej. The director provides considerable space to the performers, especially to experienced leading actor Miroslav Macháček as the professor. Macháček also appeared in director Jiří Svoboda’s Jen o rodinných záležitostech (Family Matters, 1990). Jana Brejchová (Jitka) previously starred in the director’s Schůzka se stíny (An Encounter of Shadows, 1982) and Zánik samoty Berhof (The Downfall of the Secluded Berhof, 1983). The collaboration between Radoslav Brzobohatý (Krtek) and Radovan Lukavský (patient Mikeš), who acted alongside Brejchová in An Encounter of Shadows, illustrates Svoboda’s ability to utilise proven performers. Young actor Zdeněk Jakub also appears in Svoboda’s Prokletí domu Hajnů (The Curse of the Hajns’ House, 1988).

Synopsis

A Prague neurosurgery clinic enjoys an excellent reputation. It is headed by a professor, a renowned professional who has much understanding and empathy for his patients, even after many decades spent at the clinic. His greatest support is his wife Jitka, who is a physician, too. A young village doctor brings the young Vítek Uzel (Knot in English) to the clinic. The boy has a tumour. The professor and his team find out that the tumour is too big and cannot be removed surgically. The boy's grandfather takes Vítek, nicknamed Knottie, home, firmly convinced that the boy is going to die soon. But the professor and his colleagues, as well as the students, keep thinking of the little boy, even though the entire clinic must keep on working. The professor performs an operation on his old friend Mikeš, and is successfull even despite great complications. The professor's best colleague, associate professor Krtek, learns that his only daughter is suffering from incurable, acute leucosis. Doctor Volejníková performs an operation on Mrs Benediktová but the patient dies. The colleagues uncompromisingly blame her for using a wrong procedure but the professor stands up for her, recommending her to choose another discipline. The Gypsy Carda unhopefully says goodbye to the professor, reconciled with his imminent death. Krtek decides to operate on the little Vítek. The surgery day is scheduled after the boy's preoperative tests. Krtek's daughter dies and the docent yields to depression. The surgery is thus left up to the professor. But the night before, he must perform a demanding operation on a patient who survived a car accident. The professor returns home and makes some coffee. He is, however, tired to death and the water boils over. Jitka, who returned earlier from her symposium, saves him from gas poisoning. The exhausted professor starts the boy's surgery but is gradually running out of strength. At a critical moment, associate professor Krtek appears in the operating theatre and successfully finishes the procedure. Vítek will live.

Note

The film was dedicated to the 17th assembly of the Czechoslovak Communist Party and filmed under the patronage of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Socialist Republic.

Film online

Cast

Jana Brejchová

lékařka Jitka, profesorova žena

Barbara Brylska

Voice by Libuše Švormová
asistentka MUDr. Volejníková

Radoslav Brzobohatý

docent František Krtek

Ondřej Pavelka

Ondra, profesorův syn

Jana Krausová

Helena Vyskočilová, Ondrova milenk

Emma Černá

asistentka MUDr. Hladká

Daniel Krcho

MUDr. Jirka Zelený

Radovan Lukavský

pacient Míťa Mikeš

Věra Galatíková

sekretářka Růžková

Štefan Mišovic

lesník Josef Uzel

Jakub Zdeněk

Uzlův vnuk Vítek zvaný Uzlík

Václav Mareš

docent Růžička

František Řehák

primář MUDr. Ruml

Eva Hudečková

mladá lékařka

Helga Matulová

televizní redaktorka

Marie Durnová

sálová sestra Zita

Josef Abrhám

generální ředitel, otec pacientky

Jana Vychodilová

vrchní sestra Elvíra

Eva Kulichová

Jana, Krtkova dcera

József Ropog

syn starého cikána Cardy

Ladislav Goral

syn starého cikána Cardy

Michal Ličartovský

syn starého cikána Cardy

Alena Siváková

příbuzná starého cikána Cardy

Mária Čižárová

příbuzná starého cikána Cardy

Josef Šebek

vedoucí převozového vozu

Zora Ulla Keslerová

zdravotní sestra

Svatopluk Matyáš

MUDr. Voráček

Lenka Machoninová

pacientka Benediktová

Ladislav Křiváček

manžel Benediktové

Rudolf A. Rosenfelder

řidič sanitky

Rostislav Kuba

opilý řidič Čapek

Jaroslav Plas

patolog

MUDr. Michal Tichý

anesteziolog

MUDr. Vladimír Zábrodský

anesteziolog

Vladimír Beneš

mladý pacient s leukémií

Eduard Spáčil

hudebník

Ivan Dominák

hudebník

Monika Franková

tanečnice

Soňa Macková

tanečnice

Martin Pastor

tanečník

Evžen Drtina

tanečník

Patrik Nývlt

tanečník

Dana Samková

tanečnice

Milan Kříž

tanečník

Lenka Maňasová

tanečnice

Helena Karasová

tanečnice

Soňa Obernauerová

tanečnice

Pavel Vaněk

tanečník

Dubbing

Jiří Němeček

hlas starého cikána Cardy

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Hana Hanušová

Assistant Director

Zora Vondráčková

Based on

Valja Stýblová (Skalpel, prosím – román)

Screenplay

Jiří Svoboda

Shooting Script

Jiří Svoboda

Director of Photography

Vladimír Smutný

Second Unit Photography

Václav Helliman

Camera Operator

Jiří Maxa

Production Designer

Jaromír Švarc

Assistent Production Designer

Petr Václavek

Art Director

Jan Švankmajer

Set Designer

Karel Kracík, Milan Šefrna, Miloš Sršeň

Costume Designer

Jan Růžička

Film Editor

Josef Valušiak

Assistant Film Editor

Anna Mejtská, Jana Šimonová

Sound Designer

Jiří Moudrý

Production Manager

Petr Čapek

Unit Production Manager

Josef Štambach, Hana Jarošová

Unit Production Manager

Vláčil František ml.

Consultant

prof. MUDr. Vladimír Beneš, CSc., MUDr. Ing. Jaroslav Plas, MUDr. Vladimír Zábrodský

Cooperation

Jarmila Holubová (klapka), Zdeněk Vávra (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jozef Revallo

Music Performed by

Jozef Revallo

Production info

Original Title

Skalpel, prosím

Czech Title

Skalpel, prosím

English Title

Scalpel, Please!

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1985

Production Year

1984—1985

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 27 June 1984
technical Screenplay approved 6 September 1984
start of filming 5 October 1984
end of filming 13 May 1985
projection approval 29 May 1985
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1992

Premiere

gala premiere 25 November 1985 (Palác kultury, Praha)
gala premiere 16 January 1986 (kino Světozor, Praha)
premiere 1 March 1986 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

5. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Miloslav Vydra (vedoucí 5. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

114 min

Original length in metres

3 252 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

Awards

Vítěz

Festival: 12. mezinárodní festival zdravotnických filmů a filmů Červeného kříže Varna

1987
Varna / Bulgaria

Vítěz

Festival: 37. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´86

1986
75 měst / Czechoslovakia
Jiří Svoboda

Vítěz

Festival: 37. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´86

1986
75 měst / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 13. celostátní festival zdravotnických filmů Podbořany

1986
Podobřany / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 24. festival českých a slovenských filmů Mariánské Lázně

1986
Mariánské Lázně / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 37. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´86

1986
75 měst / Czechoslovakia
Valja Stýblová

Vítěz

Festival: 14. mezinárodní filmový festival Moskva

1985
Moskva / Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Vítěz

Event: Československá nominace na Cenu americké Akademie filmových věd a umění Oscar 1985

1985
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 14. mezinárodní filmový festival Moskva

1985
Moskva / Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Jiří Svoboda