Summary
The last motion picture in the filmography of director Jiří Krejčík (1919–2013) is this satirical comedy criticising the downfall of culture and declining morals in socialist society. Right from the start of the era of “normalisation”, Krejčík was barred by the censorship apparatus from realising any works that might flow from his inner freedom of thought. He thus devoted most of his energy to television, only making cinema films infrequently (detective story Podezření [Suspicion, 1972], patriotic picture Božská Ema [The Divine Ema, 1979]). Prodavač humour (The Humour-Salesman), a drama made according to the novel by Roman Ráž, is centred on the head of a variety show agency, Jožin Petránek (Július Satinský). Given his fair-mindedness, Ráž has problems working with the committee that evaluates entertainers and artists. In the rough and chaotic world of showbusiness, where nepotism and manipulation reign, he cannot succeed... Evidence that Krejčík’s satire hit its mark is attested to by the fact that it was only released in limited distribution and could not be played on television until after the Velvet Revolution of 1989.
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