The Portrait

1h 27m

6.5

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.

Cast

Simon Jordán / Stepán Jordán

Luba Skořepová

Martina Jordánová

Vladimír Šmeral

Ladislav Kulhánek

Professor Mikulás

Extortioner Chazaj

Růžena Šlemrová

Mrs. Viktorová

Ludmila Píchová

Líza Viktorová

Bussinesman Viktor

František Holar

Mr. Zemblovský

Viktor Očásek

Bohumil Machník

Vladimír Hlavatý

Jiří Těšík

Rudolf Hrušínský

Marie Nademlejnská

Břetislav Hrstka

Robert Morávek

Bohuslav Kupšovský

Arnošt Mirský

Milada Smolíková

Emanuel Hříbal

Blažena Slavíčková

Jan W. Speerger

Jaroslav Orlický

Antonín Soukup

Dagmar Toužimská

Zora Božinová

Ludmila Burešová

Crew

Jiří Slavíček

František Vlček

Director of Photography

Zdeněk Reimann

Executive Producer

Production Design

Vladimír Novotný

Camera Operator

Assistant Camera

Costume Design, Art Designer

Miloslav Hůrka

Dalibor C. Vačkář

Original Music Composer

František Nestler

Václav Dražil

Production Manager

František Urbánek

Unit Production Manager

Creative Producer