Czech Film Center

Synopsis

The film is based on motifs from the novel by Josef Kopta, a 20th century Czech writer. Josef Douša moves into the railway guard’s house on the outskirts of a small town. Having just returned from the butchery of trench warfare during the World War I, he is hoping to forget his horrendous experiences in this secluded dwelling with a beautiful young wife by his side. His inner equanimity is further upset by the fact that his wife’s beauty and sex appeal evidently isn’t lost on two men from the nearby town – Ferda, a violent young grave-digger, and Bartík, a hypocritical sacristan. One day Anna really does succumb to Ferda’s animal magnetism. While her husband does not know of what happened. Floundering between doubt and faith in his wife, Josef ultimately loses his hearing and the doctor grants him the status of war invalid. He receives a pension but has to leave the guard house and his job. After a short time his hearing returns, but Josef hides this fact from the whole world and even his wife, hoping to find out if his suspicions about Anna and Ferda are true. Only with superhuman effort does he withstand the sufferings he must face when, as a “deaf” man, he has to listen to the caustic remarks made by people about him and his wife. The story comes to a tragic finale and the victors are death, retribution and solitude.