Long Live the Republic

Long Live the Republic

134 mins | Drama, War | Nov. 5, 1965

Oldrich is the runt of his village, beaten by his father, bullied by the other boys. But he has imagination of his side, and a wiry toughness they can’t defeat. The village is in turmoil, because the Nazi occupiers have just retreated and the Red Army is advancing. Oldrich dodges amid the mayhem and panic, taking his share of blows but always managing to stay one step ahead. Beautifully shot and darkly ironic, Karel Kachyna’s forgotten masterpiece jumbles reality, memory and fantasy to capture the intensity and confusion of childhood in a war zone.

Long Live the Republic

134 mins | Drama, War | Nov. 5, 1965

Long Live the Republic
Oldrich is the runt of his village, beaten by his father, bullied by the other boys. But he has imagination of his side, and a wiry toughness they can’t defeat. The village is in turmoil, because the Nazi occupiers have just retreated and the Red Army is advancing. Oldrich dodges amid the mayhem and panic, taking his share of blows but always managing to stay one step ahead. Beautifully shot and darkly ironic, Karel Kachyna’s forgotten masterpiece jumbles reality, memory and fantasy to capture the intensity and confusion of childhood in a war zone.
IMDb rating 7.6
Producers Filmové studio Barrandov, Československý armádní film
Original title Ať žije republika
Directors Zdena Kracíková, Lubomír Břinčil, Milada Mikešová, František Sádek, Karel Kachyňa
Writers Ladislav Fikar, Jan Procházka, Karel Kachyňa

Cast

Zdeněk Lstibůrek

as Oldřich Vařeka zvaný Pinďa

Naděžda Gajerová

as Oldřichova matka

Vlado Müller

as Oldřichův otec

Gustáv Valach

as pacholek

Yuriy Nazarov

as sovětský důstojník

Iva Janžurová

as Bertýna Petrželová

M. Fila

as

Jan Kraus

as Oldřich Vařeka zvaný Pinďa (voice)