Jan Palach (film)

Jan Palach
Directed by Robert Sedláček
Written by Eva Kantůrková
Starring Viktor Zavadil
Music by Michal Rataj
Cinematography Jan Šuster
Production
company
Release date
  • 5 August 2018 (2018-08-05)
(Uherské Hradiště Festival)
21 August 2018 (Czech republic)[2]
Running time
 124 minutes
Country Czech Republic
Language Czech
Budget 45,400,000 CZK[3]
Box office 7,096,042 CZK[4]

Jan Palach is a Czech biographical film directed by Robert Sedláček.[5] The film follows Jan Palach during 1968 and 1969 and shows final 6 months of his life.[6] The film premiered at Uherské Hradiště Summer Film School.[7]

Plot

The film chronicles life of Jan Palach since childhood until his death in 1968.[8]

The film starts during Palach's childhood. Palach gets lost in the woods and wanders in snow while his family tries to find him. The film then cuts to 1967 when Palach goes on a student work to Kazakhstan. He befriends a young Russian who gets in trouble but Palach stands up for him against his superior. Palach then visits France along with his friends. He enjoys his time there until he but finds out about Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia which shocks him. Palach decides to return to Czechoslovakia. He hears about self-immolation of Ryszard Siwiec. Palach participates in a strike against invasion and tries to be active but is disappointed with passiveness of society. He eventually decides to self-immolate himself against the invasion. The film ends with a shot at his burnt face.[9]

Cast

Director and actors
  • Viktor Zavadil as Jan Palach
  • Zuzana Bydžovská as Libuše Palachová
  • Denisa Barešová as Helenka
  • Kristína Kanátová as Eva
  • Michal Balcar as Jiří Palach
  • Karel Jirák as Ladislav Žižka
  • Jan Vondráček as Professor
  • Daniel Želatý as Jakub Schwarz Trojan
  • Gérard Robert Gratadour
  • Simone Hrášková
  • Patrik Paušo

Production

The film was shot at Prague, Milovice or Pardubice Square which was used instead of Wenceslas Square. Filmmakers created scale model of Statue of Saint Wenceslas.[5][10] Self-immolation was shot with stuntman at Střešovice.[2] Scenes from Church were shot at Evangelical Church at Libiš that was attended by Palach. Jakub Schwarz Trojan was played by his colleague Daniel Želatý.

Release

The film premiered at Uherské Hradiště Summer Film School on 5 August 2018. It was distributed for cinemas on 21 August 2018.[11][12] The film was projected in 95 Czech cinemas during the first week after its release. It was attended by 13,129 people and grossed 1,900,000 CZK.[13]

Reception

The film received generally positive reviews from Czech critics. It holds 78% at Kinobox.cz.[14]

References

  1. ↑ televize, Česká. "Robert Sedláček točí film o Palachovi". ČT24 (in Czech). Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 "VIDEO: Jan Palach znovu v plamenech. Jak se točila klíčová scéna". iDNES.cz. 8 December 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Fond kinematografie rozdělil 66 milionů korun, podpoří Sedláčkův film o Palachovi či satiru Prezident Blaník". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). 27 November 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  4. ↑ "Jan Palach - Tržby a návštěvnost". KINOMANIAK (in Czech). Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Robert Sedláček točí film Jan Palach, studenta hraje Viktor Zavadil". iDNES.cz. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Filmový Jan Palach ukáže na plátně svůj poslední půlrok života". www.seznamzpravy.cz. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  7. ↑ "Světová premiéra filmu Jan Palach na Letní filmové škole v Uherském Hradišti". Kudy z nudy. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "RECENZE: I na plátně zůstal neuchopitelný Jan Palach záhadou". iDNES.cz. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  9. ↑ "Film Jan Palach ukazuje jeho cestu k sebeupálení". www.ceskenoviny.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  10. ↑ "Filmová kolize: komparzistu shodila hlaveň obrněnce". iDNES.cz. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "VIDEO: Jan Palach veze světovou premiéru na Letní filmovou školu". iDNES.cz. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  12. ↑ kinobox.cz, team at. "Když v českých kinech narazí plyšový Medvídek Pú na Jana Palacha..." Kinobox.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  13. ↑ kinobox.cz, team at. "Když se Jan Palach a Kryštůfek Robin krčí v koutě aneb Tohle léto patří animovaným filmům". Kinobox.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  14. ↑ kinobox.cz, team at. "Jan Palach". Kinobox.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 22 August 2018.
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