SKID

SMYK

Director Zbynek Brynych / 1961 / Czechoslovakia

Frantisek Krai returns home after several years abroad. Plastic surgery following a car accident changed his face to such an extent that even his wife fails to recognise him. This new "ego", together with his irresponsible nature, promote Krai's career as a spy. However, he is not essentially a cynic, and suffers from an emotional conflict which intensifies as situations develop.

We meet him in three guises: as a cold-blooded spy, a skilful clown, and a young ambitious lad. Jiri Vala, who is also the author of the story, succeeds in portraying all facets of the character.

The difficult sequences in which the spy recalls his youth have been solved by the director by narrowing the wide screen to the format of a standard screen, or dividing it into two unequal parts on which two parallel actions are developed. Because of its originality in production. Skid was awarded a prize at the Karlovy-Vary Film Festival.

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