Krakatit

Czechoslovakia

1947

110 Min

Black and White

1.37:1

Czech

Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
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CAST Karel Höger, Florence Marly, Eduard Linkers, Jirí Plachý, Natasa Tanská, Frantisek Smolík, Miroslav Homola, Vlasta Fabianová, Jaroslav Průcha, Jiřina Petrovická, Jaroslav Zrotal, Bedrich Vrbský, Bohus Hradil, František Vnouček, Karel Dostal

Based on a novel by Karel Capek, a prominent Czech writer of the early 20th century, who coined the word robot for his play R.U.R., the story revolves around a discovery of Krakatit – a powerful explosive by Prokop, the main character of the movie. After an accidental explosion in the lab, exhausted Prokop slips in and out of dream-like hallucinations. He later realizes that in his altered state of consciousness he had given the formula for making Krakatit to one of his colleagues, and he tries to stop its spread before it is too late. But there are too many dark, powerful forces interested in the ultimate explosive. —IMDb

Director

Otakar Vávra

Otakar Vávra (born February 28, 1911) is a Czech film director, screenwriter and pedagogue. He was born in Hradec Králové, Austria-Hungary, now part of the Czech Republic.

Vávra attended universities in Brno and Prague, where he studied architecture. During 1929-30, while still a student, he participated in the making of a handful of documentaries and wrote movie scripts. In 1931, he produced the experimental film Světlo proniká tmou. The first movie he directed was 1937’s Filosofská historie.

His first feature film was 1938’s Cech panen Kutnohorských, starring Zorka Janů, sister of legendary Czech actress Lída Baarová. Janů also played in Vávra’s films Podvod s Rubensem and Pacientka Dr. Hegela, both from 1940. Baarová starred in Vávra’s films Panenství (1937), Maskovaná milenka (1939), Dívka v modrém (1939), and Turbína (1941).

After the Communists came to power in 1948, Vávra adapted quickly to the new political climate and produced films praising the current… read more