Summary
Novelist Josef Nesvadba’s science fiction works have several times been adapted for the big screen. But the book that serves as a template for Tajemství zlatého Buddhy (The Secret of the Gold Buddha) is something of an exception for the author, presenting, as it does, a crime story set during the realities of the 1890s. Directed by Dušan Klein – whose filmography underscores a penchant for the detective genre – this 1973 film tells the story of the family machinations of a wealthy factory owner in north Bohemia. That owner, Riessig, has his rich aunt declared not legally competent. But a gold Buddha statue conceals evidence that the doctors involved in the wrongful diagnosis were bribed. Meanwhile, a group of textile workers, sick of exploitation at the hands of their greedy boss, go on strike. Otakar Brousek takes the lead role as the wicked factory owner, while his unfortunate auntie is played by Blanka Waleská.
Read more