Summary
This third part of director Otakar Vávra’s “Hussite trilogy” was filmed in 1956. Similarly to the earlier historical costume dramas Jan Hus (1954) and Jan Žižka (1955), the final film is inspired by the literary works of Alois Jirásek. The film tells the story of the rise of the Hussite movement following the 1420 Battle of Sudoměř and the victory over the soldiers of the defiant Emperor Sigismund at the Battle of Vítkov Hill near Prague. These well-known historical events are also bolstered by the more personal story of Zdena, daughter of a member of the lower nobility from Hvozdno, and her fateful marriage to clergyman Bydlínský. Vlasta Matulová portrays the strong heroine, having previously played Queen Sophia of Bavaria in the first two entries of the trilogy. Miroslav Doležal, who plays Bydlínský, also appears in a number of smaller roles in the two previous chapters. Zdeňek Štěpánek reprises his role as Jan Žižka from the previous film, while Jan Pivec crowns off the contemporary caricatured depictions of the malevolent “ginger fox” Sigismund.
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