Summary
In 1977, director Václav Matějka created a contemporary psychological drama Hodina pravdy (The Hour of Truth). The earlier film is in no way related to a similarly titled motion picture he made in 1981. Hodina života (The Hour of Life) is a politicised historical drama inspired by the real-life events of a textile workers’ strike organised in the eastern Bohemian town of Týnec, as seen through the eyes of the noted journalist and critic of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Czech social democrat Josef Hybeš. The film depicts the dramatic events preceding Hybeš’s arrest in 1883 and the subsequent introduction of the demanded 11-hour work shift. The film, made according to the then ideological directives of the Barrandov Film Studios dramaturgy department, is credited for its descriptive representation of historical events and for the emotionally charged performance of Petr Štěpánek in the lead role.
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