Smugglers of Death

In the 1950s, Karel Kachyňa built his career on “masculine” themes revolving around border guards and soldiers. Apart from his undeniable professional skills as a director, he also had a good sense of the psychology of his characters. All of this applies to this drama set in the Šumava Mountains region in 1948. SMUGGLERS OF DEATH takes on a balladic nature derived from the dark beauty of the local scenery. The main character, a mysterious smuggler who takes illegal refugees across the border to Germany through dangerous marshes, is endowed with almost mythical qualities. Appearing in the main roles among the heroic defenders are Radovan Lukavský and Jiří Vala. The part of the unhappy Marie is played by Jiřina Švorcová, who particularly in the 1950s, tended to play ardent and politically engaged characters.