The Portrait
87 mins
People are afraid of the usurer Chazaj and are convinced that he is the bearer of evil. One day Chazaj pays a visit to the poor artist Simon Jordán and asks him to paint his portrait. Simon agrees but as he progresses with the work his mind conjures up terrible thoughts and in the end he commits suicide. The portrait looks lifelike and Chazaj is content with the results. After Chazaj's death the picture changes hands and brings misfortune to all who own it. The last victim is the young painter Roman who buys Chazaj's portrait in a bazaar. He finds a treasure in the frame and begins to live well off it. The comfortable life suits him so well that he rejects his original artistic aims and becomes a painter of fashionable kitsch.
Ladislav Kulhánek
Professor Mikulás
Ludmila Píchová
Líza Viktorová
František Holar
Mr. Zemblovský
Viktor Očásek
Merchant Image
Bohumil Machník
Homegrown
František Vlček
Screenplay
Václav Dražil
Production Manager
Jan Roth
Director of Photography
Josef Pechar
Assistant Camera
Josef Liesler
Costume Design
Josef Kobík
Makeup & Hair
Josef Liesler
Art Designer
František Nestler
Set Decoration
Jan Kohout
Editor
Miloslav Hůrka
Sound
Jan Zázvorka
Production Design
Zdeněk Reimann
Executive Producer
Vladimír Novotný
Camera Operator
Milivoj Uzelac
Conductor
František Urbánek
Unit Production Manager