Jan Roháč of Dubá

The demand for historical themes with a patriotic tint influenced the making of this historical drama directed in 1947 by Vladimír Borský. Just as was later the case with the Hussite trilogy directed by Otakar Vávra (Jan Hus, Jan Žižka, Proti všem [Against Everybody]), the film is based on a novel by Alois Jirásek. The literary work was used – even before the February 1948 communist putsch – as a springboard for the distortion of historical facts to suit Marxist ideology, the promotion of patriotism and Slavic solidarity. The storyline commences after the ill-fated battle of Lipany where the Hussite movement was defeated in 1434 by the more moderate dissenters, leaving commander Jan Roháč z Dubé alone in his continued armed resistance against the accession of Roman Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg to the Bohemian throne. Despite the hero failing in his last stand, his struggle is not fought in vain… Being the first Czechoslovak film shot in colour, the motion picture is also remarkable for its exquisitely staged action and sculpted performances from the actors, with Otomar Korbelář in the lead.