Big Money

In the 1980s, Vít Olmer’s directorial activity evolved partly from a fondness for genre films and partly from a growing interest in social and journalistic formats. In this respect, he found some common ground with screenwriter Radek John in the film Bony a klid (Big Money). Consequently, in 1987 this resulted in one of the most significant films of the second half of the decade – a drama about a trusting young man who comes to the capital in search of a better life and ends up on a slippery slope. John’s screenplays had long been influenced by reporting work. Big Money, however, is not just an impressively told crime story from the appealing milieu of Prague racketeers, but also a stylised statement on the reality that prevailed in Czechoslovak society at the end of the 1980s. It implied links between the underworld and the police and the courts – a brave thing to do at that time. The protagonist is Martin, a naïve car mechanic who leaves his hometown of Mladá Boleslav and ends up among Prague moneychangers. He quickly changes from being the victim of theft into a player who vigorously pursues backstreet deals using convertible currency, which is in short supply. He enjoys a sweet life of plenty and falls in love with the charming Eva. But, ultimately, he does not avoid his comeuppance. No winner can emerge from the rivalry between two racketeering gangs… The film was a big hit with audiences thanks to the way it tackled its subject matter in a genre style and its catchy soundtrack (provided by the composer Ondřej Soukup and Frankie Goes to Hollywood). The cinematographer Ota Kopřiva, whom Olmer had collaborated with on several of his previous films, added some authenticity to the story, which was set in realistic Prague locations. The convincing Jan Potměšil excelled in the lead role. He had already attracted attention in the drama Proč (Why?) – another socially critical film penned by Radek John and directed by Karel Smyczek. Roman Skamene gave the performance of his life as the mercurial hustler Bíny. He and other actors from the film repeated their roles in a loose sequel, Big Money II, which Vít Olmer made in 2014.