Summary
Major Kalaš, the investigator who features in a quartet of crime films made by director Petr Schulhoff, is among the most popular characters in the realm of Czech detective stories. A substantial part of his charisma, of course, is down to the actor who portrays him: Rudolf Hrušínský. But Schulhoff's approach also made a significant contribution to the indisputable quality of the series. In the four detective stories – Strach (Fear, 1963), Vrah skrývá tvář (The Murderer Hides His Face, 1966), Po stopách krve (1969), and Diagnóza smrti (Diagnosis of Death, 1979) – Schulhoff created a prototype for high-quality, classic Czech detective tales with an impressively dismal atmosphere. In Po stopách krve, Kalaš investigates the murder of a Roma boy in the northern Bohemian town of Dubá. When another victim is discovered, the Prague-based investigator realises he is up against a serial killer – and a paedophile to boot. Tackling the case is made more complicated due to the absence of his trusted partner, Varga.
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