Krwawym tropem

Perhaps even better than the previous film, although Major Kalaš is investigating solo (and is "on vacation") this time. Everything is again very realistically filmed, the murders (or rather their results) are really extremely repulsive and I couldn't help but close my eyes now and then. Rudolf Hrušínský is once again perfectly Maigretovian, the generous widescreen image makes the film an even more impressive spectacle... In short, Petr Schulhoff has once again written and filmed a gem. (21.12.2014)

I dare not claim that this is the best Czechoslovak crime film of all time, but it is definitely a film that belongs to the top of the respective genre in the country. This black-and-white gem relies on excellent casting, led by Rudolf Hrušínský, who plays a Maigret-type detective who is human and empathetic with a strong sense of justice. His investigative method is based on deduction and investigation, and the overall atmosphere of the film is practically unaffected by ideology, which is a common flaw in crime films of the communist era. The film is shot with a maximum sense of authenticity, supported by the casting of non-professional actors or unknown actors in a number of supporting and actually crucial roles. The direction is not influenced by a cheap chase for effects and shocking twists; however, the investigation provides several unexpected moments and leads to a surprising twist. The Czechoslovak detective genre did not have an easy time during the era of building real socialism, as many popular themes in the world, such as corruption of state and police forces or portrayal of organized crime, could not appear in it for understandable reasons, and, for example, action elements would seem rather ridiculous in Czech productions. Just imagine a scene where two big men chase each other and their crews will be shooting at each other with submachine guns... Surprisingly, even after November, nothing was born in the respective genre that would significantly surpass this film, although this genre has a decent tradition in the Czech Republic and there is more than enough inspiration from real life. Overall impression: 95%. (06.04.2010)