Rules of the Circle
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1987Production year
1987Premiere
1 August 1988Runtime
83 minDirector
Miroslav BalajkaCategory
filmGenre
social, psychologicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Pravidla kruhuCzech title
Pravidla kruhuEnglish title
Rules of the CircleWorking title
Být vyřazen ze hrySummary
Miroslav Balajka was chiefly devoted to television work, but in 1987 he took the director's chair for his feature-film debut Pravidla kruhu (Rules of the Circle). It is one of several motion pictures that dared to criticise the social realities of Czechoslovakia in the late 1980s. Demobbed conscript Petr serves as the film's lead character, as he seeks an identity back on civvy street. Balajka and co-screenwriter Dušan Kukal present a prototypical man who is striving to anchor himself in a reality that keeps slipping from his hands. Petr returns to his previous job at a bakery and also perseveres with his sports career in a wrestling team. As a wrestler, he finds success, even on the international stage. However, the demands of simultaneously attending to his relationship with girlfriend Jitka and pursuing his sport appear to be more than Petr can handle. In order to rediscover security in life, he must return to the beginning… Balajka cast two Slovak actors in the two main roles: Igor Krempaský as Petr and Roman Luknár as his adversary Vašek.
Synopsis
Petr returns from his military service to civilian life , looking forward to seeing his girlfriend Blanka. He is totally broke and thus turns to his acquaintance, Vaek Hadraba, who works as a waiter in the local hotel. Vaek disdainfully loans him one hundred crowns and Blanka does not even invite him in. Petr goes back to his wrestling team and provisionally spends a night in its gymnasium. Outside in the morning, he stands up for a girl who is annoyed by a rude truck driver. The girl is a receptionist called Jitka who Petr spotted in the hotel. The waiter Vaek is also a member of the wrestling team and he, too, strives for Jitka's favour. Petr gets a job in a bakery where he had worked before his military service, but the foreman Kaka first assigns him an inferior job. The old baker Polda offers to let Petr stay in his small chalet by the river. Petr and Vaek - while the latter raises his pay by very odd gigs - become rivals both in the team and in their interest in Jitka. At the republic championship, Petr advances to his great surprise and finally even wins in the final. The front-runner Hadraba, on the contrary, drops out. Jitka prepares some refreshment in the chalet to celebrate Petr's victory. Petr's coach finds the young man a flatlet and a job in another factory. Petr accepts, but only with some hesitation which disappoints the coach Kaka. The new job, however, is just a pretext to give Petr more time to train. After winning a competition in East Germany, Petr misses his train and the waiting Jitka sadly leaves the railway station. Petr finds her in the hotel at a disco, accompanied by a dubious group of people. The couple reconcile but they are found by Katka's father, the foreman Kaka, in her flat and Kaka throws Petr out. The young man begins to work hard; he even loads boxes on trains at a railway station at nights, planning his future with the girl. But the tiredness affects his sport performance. Jitka moves away from him after a quarrel. A fight with Vaek in the hotel ends up at the police station. Petr is punished - he is eliminated from representing his country and also loses his flat, while Vaek's situation is ironed out by his influential father. Petr finds Polda's chalet burnt down with its owner, who died in the fire, inside. He returns to the bakery. He earns trust only when he begins selflessly working on the repair of a furnace threatened by breakdown. Vaek is eventually arrested for his suspicious trafficking.
Photos
Cast
Igor Krempaský
pekař Petr Fink
Magda Hamoová
recepční Jitka
Roman Luknár
číšník Vašek Hadraba
Stanislav Zindulka
mistr Kaška, Jitčin otec
Viktor Nejedlý
Voice by Vlastimil Bedrna
děda Polda
Zdeněk Dušek
pekař Karásek
Vítězslav Jandák
trenér Honza
Jana Nagyová
Blanka
René Breila
číšník Pája
Zdeněk Faměra
Burák
Ditta Strouhalová
Kukadlo
Milena Šajdková
pekařka Lehovcová
Jiří Pomeje
kluk z party
Zdeněk Suchý
kluk z party
Nela Boudová
holka z party
Ivana Susová
holka z party
Hana Čížková (2)
Jiřinka, holka z party
Zdeněk Buchvaldek
Vaškův otec
Mirko Musil
dělník v Glaxu
Miroslav Kořínek
dělník z bednárny
Jiří Růžička
správce tělocvičny Tony
Roman Skamene
praporčík VB
Oldřich Velen
funkcionář Glaxu
Igor Smržík
náměstek Glaxu
Karel Hábl
recepční v Esplanadu
Radka Fidlerová
hospodská Darina
Vladimír Pospíšil
příslušník VB v lomu
Věra Koktová
žena z bednárny
Bohumila Dolejšová
Petrova matka
Jiří Samek
Petrův otec
Radim Vašinka
brigádník
Jiří Krytinář
trpaslík v baru
Jiří Kraus
řidič kamionu
Jiří Cimický
číšník z diskobaru
Pavel Demeter
Dezider
I. Grundza
otec Dezider
Jaroslav Heyduk
nádražní zřízenec
Jiří Sova
Bizon z bednárny
Jakub Wehrenberg
Petr jako desetiletý
Josef Vrána
příslušník VB
Le Van Chin
Vietnamec
Nguyen Minh Hai
Vietnamka
Viktorie Knotková
uklízečka v bufetu
Martin Vysušil
muž v bufetu
Stanislav Němec
muž v bufetu
Stanislav Moša
muž v bufetu
Marie Tomsová
žena z elegantní vily
Milan Pěkný
manžel z vily
V. Kohoutová
dítě z vily
B. Kohoutová
dítě z vily
Václav Burkert
gangster
František Jákl
gangster
Karel Augusta ml.
zápasník
Petr Drozda
zápasník
Jiří Kalenský
zápasník
Petr Komínek
zápasník
Jiří Kuba
zápasník
Ladislav Lahoda
zápasník
Dimo Lipitkovský
zápasník
Zdeněk Matěcha
zápasník
Oldřich Semerák
zápasník
František Stupka
zápasník
Květoslav Štora
zápasník
Jaroslav Tomsa
zápasník
Stanislav Tůma
zápasník
Karel Vávrovec
zápasník
Michal Vejsada
zápasník
Pavel Vokoun
zápasník
Radana Bébarová
tanečnice
Michal Caban
tanečník
Dana Dostálová
tanečnice
Iveta Jadrníčková
tanečnice
Jana Krňanská
tanečnice
Tereza Kučerová
tanečnice
Vít Máslo
tanečník
Lada Odstrčilová
tanečnice
M. Procházka
tanečník
Antonín Hausknecht
dubl za Romana Luknára
Václav Syřiště
dubl za René Breilu
Vojtěch Kopecký
zpěvák
A. Koudelka
výčepní v bufetu
Martina Riedelbauchová
tanečnice
Simona Rybáková
tanečnice
Petra Zelenková
tanečnice
T. Suchá
holčička Karkulka
Vladimír Lalák
rozhodčí
František Vejsada
rozhodčí
M. Pudil
rozhodčí
E. Krbaťa
rozhodčí
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Jan Dolejš
Assistant Director
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Milan Lekič
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Adriena Jirková, Daniela Jenčíková
Unit Production Manager
Miloš Matula, Jana Příkaská
Consultant
Cooperation
Josef Řezáč (fotograf), Západočeské pekárny a cukrárny, Západočeské pekárny a cukárny závod 03 Karlovy Vary, TJ Rudá hvězda Praha
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Choreographer
Danced by
Baletní jednotka Křeč
Songs
Já, my, všichni extratřídy
Song Composer Ondřej Soukup
Writer of Lyrics Václav Křístek
Singer sbor
Kupředu, zpátky ni krok
Song Composer Jan Seidel
Writer of Lyrics Bedřich Bobek
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Pravidla kruhu
Czech Title
Pravidla kruhu
English Title
Rules of the Circle
Working Title
Být vyřazen ze hry
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
social, psychological
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1987
Production Year
1987
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 25 May 1986
technical Screenplay approved 5 February 1987
start of filming 16 March 1987
end of filming 30 May 1987
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1991
Premiere
premiere 1 August 1988 /unsuitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
6. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina Tvůrčí mládí, Jan Vild (vedoucí 6. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny Tvůrčí mládí)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
83 min
Original length in metres
2 382 meters
Distribution carrier
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
