The Portrait

The Portrait

87 mins | Fantasy | Jan. 9, 1948

People are afraid of the usurer Chazaj and are convinced that he is the bearer of evil. One day Chazaj pays a visit to the poor artist Simon Jordán and asks him to paint his portrait. Simon agrees but as he progresses with the work his mind conjures up terrible thoughts and in the end he commits suicide. The portrait looks lifelike and Chazaj is content with the results. After Chazaj's death the picture changes hands and brings misfortune to all who own it. The last victim is the young painter Roman who buys Chazaj's portrait in a bazaar. He finds a treasure in the frame and begins to live well off it. The comfortable life suits him so well that he rejects his original artistic aims and becomes a painter of fashionable kitsch.

The Portrait

87 mins | Fantasy | Jan. 9, 1948

The Portrait
People are afraid of the usurer Chazaj and are convinced that he is the bearer of evil. One day Chazaj pays a visit to the poor artist Simon Jordán and asks him to paint his portrait. Simon agrees but as he progresses with the work his mind conjures up terrible thoughts and in the end he commits suicide. The portrait looks lifelike and Chazaj is content with the results. After Chazaj's death the picture changes hands and brings misfortune to all who own it. The last victim is the young painter Roman who buys Chazaj's portrait in a bazaar. He finds a treasure in the frame and begins to live well off it. The comfortable life suits him so well that he rejects his original artistic aims and becomes a painter of fashionable kitsch.
Producers Československá filmová společnost
Original title Podobizna
Directors Jiří Slavíček
Writers Nikolai Gogol, Martin Frič, František Vlček

Cast

Otomar Krejča

as Simon Jordán / Stepán Jordán

Luba Skořepová

as Martina Jordánová

Vladimír Šmeral

as Painter Roman

Ladislav Kulhánek

as Professor Mikulás

Karel Dostal

as Extortioner Chazaj

Rudolf Deyl

as Jáchym

Felix le Breux

as Marcel Bernard

Růžena Šlemrová

as Mrs. Viktorová

Ludmila Píchová

as Líza Viktorová

Emil Bolek

as Bussinesman Viktor

František Holar

as Mr. Zemblovský

Viktor Očásek

as Merchant Image

Bohumil Machník

as Homegrown