"All My Good Countrymen" "In the life of every man, there is a point of no return." "May 1945" "Millions of years ago our beautiful world was born." "A dark and dead place, with nothing to call it home." "The whirling waters gave it life created cells, flowers, and then the apes" "and man - and man...the greatest thing created and man - and man...master of all these creations." "And what happened then?" "What happened then?" "Man stepped into history, walking proudly, walking on." "He was forced to fight in wars, till he had enough." "What happened then?" "Red armies from the east, rushed in to set us free" "Thanks for peace and liberty!" "Forever grateful will we be!" "For Bene?" "For Stalin!" "For Bene?" "For Stalin!" "Onward man travels." "Forward!" "Forward!" "Praise the lord." "All thanks and praise to the lord." "for He has magnifed" "His wonderous love to me within, a city fortified." "To begin from the beginning, these two rascals belong to the butcher Machac's widow." "One night while celebrating the sale of a cow," "Machac ran his motorcycle into a hay wagon." "Now they call his wife, the merry widow." "In our village, no one is known by thier proper name." "There are so many Machac's, Jiriceks and Palata's that nicknames are used to set them apart." "And this one." "He is called, Joe the Lip." "Because he lisps." "As well as making this sound when he talks : veh" "Thief!" "Give it back!" "Wait till I catch you!" "We need bigger game - a stag or a man!" "Frantistek is a framer." "The war has passed over his field, and he must plough once again." "He loves his work, and that is why he does it well." "Frank the Lamp is a tailor " "Frank is his given name, but they call him the Lamp, becuase of his passion for lamps, lanterns, Chinese lanterns and flashlights." "You aim at his head." "I'll aim at his behind." "Wait till I catch you!" "Hold them!" "Wait come here..." "I'll show you what's what, you rascals, you scoundrels!" "Halt!" "What's the matter?" "What are you staring at?" "Don't you know me?" "Look at me - elegant, what." "What have you got?" "Come look what I've got." "A cake." "I'll have a piece." "I'm quite out of breath... those rascals." "Take it as a souvenir." "I'll take care of that." "In those days, there were seven friends:" "Joe, Frank the Lamp, Frantistek, Joza Trna the mason," "Janek Fafka, a smallholder," "Ocenás the organist, and Bertin, a newcomer to this small Moravian village from prague." "Wait!" "Wait!" "Come here" " Wait you" " The merry widow - wait till I catch them." "Get ready." "Wait till I catch them" "What are you doing?" "That's a secret." "Those rascals of yours." "What have they done now?" "Take cover - this is going to blast a bigger hole, than the Macocha cave." "My mouth is full of sand..." "I can't hear a thing..." "What can you hear with that cap round your ears?" "Are you hurt, Frank?" "No, but I've dirtied my pants." "That's Zásinek" "Only Kurfirt has a bigger farm than him." "He lives alone." "His wife was Jewish - the Germans took her." "His family has had the farm for generations, but he loves music more than the fields." "They say he is descended from a Gypsy baron, who passed through the village and played the fiddle beautifully." "They say he left his eyes behind, and possibly something else." "Look what a few dandelions do to an old ox." "You look so true to life - almost like a Hawaian cow." "I'll just add dark shadows round the eyes.." "Shut." "Shut the door to the outhouse!" "I'll never make it." "I can't get up there." "Wait...wait...take my hand." "The fun we had at the fair." "I wish we where there..." "The fun's over..." "Wait..." "I wish we were there, at the fair, at the fair..." "Haven't been home for three straight days and nights." "haven't been home..." "Let's go - you know the one about, two are company, three..." "Right." "Spring 1948" "Orders of the Central Action Committee of the National Front:" "All will be exculded from public life." "Politics will no longer be a dirty game." "We are telling you:" " let's face it!" "We have proof that the reactionaries defeated in February 1948 are prepared to act again." "One cosumer is allowed only a single kilogram of honey." "Anyone carrying a larger amount - but not more than five kilograms of honey needs a written permit." "As soon as we overcome the effects of last year's bad harvest our production...our production will supply the market with consumer goods - we are going to live well again." "Since our crown is one of the most stable currencies in Europe." "Bertin, that wild, restless boy, was appointed secertary of the Action Committee." "Hello, Mr. Vigon" "A letter for you - sign here..." "People are saying that you'll have your teeth bashed in." "Why?" "Because you joined them." "Just sign and I'll go, Mr Vigon." "Ocenas the organist, is the chairman of the local communists..." "Fafka, the small holder, heads the minority cooperative... and Macala the mason is the head of the local government." "They've taken over and they hold the reigns - and the world is divided in two." "I wonder who they are after now?" "When things change," "I'm going to hit them over the head with a bucket." "Forget the bucket." "You couldn't even lift it!" "Hello." "The biggest landowner, Kurfirt, has to leave." "They took everything...it came like lighting." "And his farm will be taken over by the minority cooperative." "If my farm was only a little smaller than yours" "I'd be the blackguard instead of you." "Zejvala, I hope you look after this place, your own looks like a pigsty." "We don't need your advise." "When the rats glare at you from every hole and corner - don't come to me for help!" "Don't worry!" "We will show you what we can do!" "Well, let's go" "I say...there's enough wood here, for a whole house." "No, no that isn't much- let's go and inspect the celler, I'm sure we'll find something to drink." "there's nothing -we'll find something." "I am no longer a butcher, I am a clerk now." "Ruffy, that's what they call the butcher." "For his physical and other qualities." "They say he can kill a calf with his bare hands - as well as a man in the pub." "One, two, three...six...seven.." "This is going to be the fitting room." "and you, mother, and the seamstress, will sit over there." "That's the toilet." "We've never had a proper toilet, only an outhouse and a dungheap." "I'll have you try this..." "Do, do..." "After all, we know the locals are a bunch of louts." "The roof, that is the most important thing," "It sounds like it will last for a 100 years, and the whole place is clean," "I haven't seen a single mouse." "I hope you won't regret your decision." "Spring and Summer, Autumn and Winter " "Isn't this lovely?" "I'd love to have you come do the Chinese lanterns" "No, dad, this isn't a circus" "But, I love my Chinese lanterns." "That's not going to do you any good, if you keep company with the organist," "You'll reget it when things change." "He'll hang, for sure." "He wants to turn your shop into a tailors co-op, and mine into a state owned butcher shop." "Take my advise - don't join them." "They'll take your house from you." "Even if you are one of them." "Why should they?" "It's ours." "Don't try to frighten us." "We only came to warn you." "Your turn will come too, Joe." "My turn?" " No, no, thanks for the warning." "Besides having the right background " "I am a bright boy you know..." "The Soviets plus electrification equals Communism." "Who the hell..." "Unexpected guests." "Ah, welcome!" "Get the glasses, mother!" "Have you come to play cards?" "Why not?" "Cut." "Lamp listen, your old man was a worker, yes?" "Yes, he was a cobbler." "Why?" "Are you going to ask whether he was a Jew?" "Did he go on working after Bata opened his factory?" "No, he took any job he found." "So you could call him a handyman, yes?" "He worked in the fields and the woods." "He was frequently unemployed." "Were you poor then?" "Of course." "Well, Frank - with that kind of background, you ought to know where your place is." "Do you know what we have in mind?" "How should I know?" "Do you know what you are now?" "A capitalist." "You employ a tailor, two apprentices, your wife works for you, you are exploiting her as well." "We could give you the works." "Why pick on me?" "The works, I said." "There's plenty of others around." "There are others - look, Frank, join the party," "you'll found a tailor co-op and you'll be in charge." "If you don't, we'll know what to do." "You have a shop, too." "You ought to set an example," "I am the only photographer here - and besides, I don't intend to carry on..." "Are you going into politics?" "What's wrong with politics?" "And if I do sign?" "Are you going to let me keep the house?" "I bought it with my honest earnings." "No, honest earnings - black marketing, I'd call it." "What about the stuff the Jews gave you to hide, before the Germans took them?" "That's the end of your business." "We'll look after the house and subdivde the flats, giving them to those that need them." "We are going to be tough - and those that stand in our way better watch out!" "June 1949" "Bozka, the innkeeper, comes from the Hana family - a merry woman and a great dancer." "When Bozka gets going, no one can keep up with her - and not only with her dancing." "Wait a minute - we are in the middle of a hay harvest." "I have to be fit." "When Zásinek's wife went up in smoke in the Auschwitz crematoriums," "Zásinek began working harder in the fields." "The best mowers:" "Zásinek and Hyža Kobza, who servered on a submarine, during WW 1." "Naca, the fibber," "Arnost, who reads every book first" "Kejvala, the joker" "No booze, no strength!" "Keep quiet." "Remember, Bertin, the fun we had?" "Do you remember, how we blew up the mine?" "And how you were buried in dirt... and how you dirted your..." "So what " "It's happened to other people." "That's right." "What's right, dad?" "Nothing." "A man wearing the uniform of a policeman tells Ocenás the organist to come to the old lime pit to search for a hidden transmitter." "What he doesn't tell Ocenás is that they'll be waiting to kill him and that Juchta and Rabona have given their blessing...." "Come here..." "listen..." "You drive yourself like mad and what's the use of it?" "People hate you and you work for them- they avoid you and you go on and on without knowing where - it's going to end." "You force them to do things they don't want to do." "One day they'll know what they want for their own good." "We are not only doing it for them, but also for their children." "The children will want to change things again." "Ah - they're hot." "but good..." "Hello, a nice day, but it rains, yes?" "Have some, they're good." "Macala has made everyone mad again." "The women are screaming and yelling outside the town hall." "I tried to explain, but it's of no use " "You'll have to go and talk to them." "They'll listen to you..." "I have an important appointment to attend to." "I don't think I can make it." "Would you go instead?" "Who changed their fate?" "Who raffled the cards?" "Who threw the dice?" "Who?" "What's the difference between a stag and a man?" "It's easy to take aim and to kill." "Rabona gave his partner away, so they came and took Juchta too," "but they never found the assassin or the man with the moustache." "Let's get away from here, please before they kill you." "What's the meaning of this?" "Set the priest free, he is innocent." "That's not for you to decide, we'll soon see who is innocence and who isn't." "He is innocent and if you do not let him go," "we'll call another meeting - the whole country will come!" "Good morning." "Welcome." "We'll never have such a great organist again." "If you don't want me here, what can I do?" "I tried to defend you." "but the church elders, think it was you." "who told them to arrest the priest." "I didn't, I really didn't." "though I didn't like his sermon, but why arrest someone for a sermon?" "Thank you." "I believe you." "We are both caught between two mill-stones, and they are grinding together whether we like it or not." "I am glad we are leaving - before someone kills him here." "Thanks for teaching our Mary" "you have taught her all she knows." "Don't mention it." "Stupid, pigheaded fools, heads like turnips." "That's not a good likeness - she's far too rosy..." "Listen, now that Ocenás has left, you ought to take his place." "How do I get elected?" "Peton or Macala can put your name up." "Peton will do it." "You can get a county office maybe even a district employment" "and from there it's only a step to an M.P." "They might even make you a minister, you aren't that stupid." "And we'll move into Juchta's flat, we'll have three large rooms..." "What if they kill me like Bertin?" "Now?" "They're scared stiff, they wouldn't dare." "July 1951" "Hello." "Did you get the summons?" "I did." "I've come to remind you that you start your term on Tuesday." "There will be no postponement this time and you tend to forget." "Tell me Joe, how often have you been in prison?" "That's like asking a woman how many times she's lied." "Do you even remember the first time?" "That was long ago... before the war, yes, during the first German occupation." "I see you have a lot of experience." "Do you think it's time you reformed?" "You very well will, considering you are an incorrigible thief." "Thief?" "Do I steal?" "All I do is borrow " "I'd return things, but how can I when I'm in prison?" "This time you'll go through a reeducation course." "What's reeducation?" "It's sort of like a treament for you, like with alcholics or notorious criminals." "But..." "And don't forget, today is Saturday." "I don't want to search the town for you on Tuesday." "Rigo, Rigo, Rek, come here you cursed dog." "Come, come. wait till I catch you."