Summary
Stories featuring personal tales intertwined with “major” events were taken on several times by noted Czechoslovak screenwriter Jan Procházka. In the unjustly largely forgotten war drama Maratón (The Marathon, 1968), Procházka and director Ivo Novák return to the period of the Prague Uprising of May 1945. Against this backdrop, we study the parallel fates of two brothers – young Ruda, an escapee of Pankrác prison, and older Jarda, who is ready to come to the aid of Prague as part of an approaching Soviet tank division. Ruda grows close to young housemaid Karla. Together, the pair try to survive these turbulent days. This drama presents an interesting fusion between a potent historical backdrop and the simple stories of two young people. The Marathon is also assisted by strong performances from Jaromír Hanzlík and Jana Brejchová. Jarda is portrayed by Vladimír Menšík. Many small roles in the film are taken up by well-known Czech actors.
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