Where No One Is Allowed

The director Dušan Klein specialised in crime dramas, making several successful ventures into the genre. In his film Kam nikdo nesmí (Where No One Is Allowed, 1979) the criminal elements take a back seat as the director explores the moral and psychological consequences of a tragic car accident in which an irresponsible driver takes the life of a young tennis player named Lucie. A criminal investigation inevitably ensues but the audience’s attention is funnelled towards Lucie’s elderly lover, the translator Valenta (played by Eduard Cupák in another top-drawer performance). Valenta is simultaneously trying to heal his relationship with his estranged son Michal who had also become emotionally attached to Lucie. Several retrospectives provide insight into the backgrounds of the main protagonists. Both the tennis environment and Valenta’s occupation served to increase the appeal of the film to audiences. The picture also benefited from some truly excellent acting. In addition to Cupák, Klein cast fresh faces in the main roles: Polish actress Małgorzata Potocka (Lucie) and Slovak actor Juraj Ďurdiak (Michal). Josef Somr plays a more than dependable supporting role as Valenta’s friend. The melancholic atmosphere which pervades this story about a breakdown of trust and our need for surety finds a suitable soundtrack in the song To mám tak ráda (I Like It So Much) by Marie Rottrová.