...and the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1965)
"...a páty jezdec je Strach" (original title)

A Jewish doctor in Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia risks his life and attempts to regain his identity by assisting a wounded political fugitive.

Director:

Zbynek Brynych

Writers:

Milan Nejedlý (technical screenplay), Hana Belohradska (prose Bez krásy, bez límce),

Stars:

Miroslav Machácek, Olga Scheinpflugová, Zdenka Procházková

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Miroslav Machácek	...	Dr. Braun
Olga Scheinpflugová	...	Music Teacher
Zdenka Procházková	...	Mrs. Vesely
Jirí Adamíra	...	Mr. Vesely
Josef Vinklár	...	Fanta
Ilja Prachar	...	Sidlak
Jana Pracharová	...	Sidlak's Wife
Jirí Vrstála	...	Police Inspector
Tomás Hádl	...	Honzik
Eva Svobodová	...	Porter's Wife
Jirí Pleskot	...	Husband
Milan Mach	...	Husband
Mirko Musil	...	Husband
Roman Hemala	...	Husband
Slávka Budínová	...	Mrs. Wiener

Storyline

Dr. Braun is forbidden to practice medicine because he's a Jew living in Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia. He's old, seems resigned about the fate of the Jews, and even works in the Department of Confiscation of Jewish Property. One day a neighbor asks him to assist a wounded political fugitive. Dr. Braun reluctantly operates to remove the bullet, but warns that plenty of morphine will soon be needed in order to keep the man from screaming when he awakes, which would attract unwanted attention. After some soul searching, Dr. Braun decides to redeem himself and reclaim his identify as a person and doctor by continuing to provide assistance. His search for the scarce morphine takes him on a nightmarish journey which includes a brothel where local women are forced to be prostitutes for German soldiers, a bar where the locals try to drown their misery in booze and dancing, and a Jewish insane asylum with a high suicide rate. Meanwhile, in a world where there is constant propaganda instructing...

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Plot Keywords:

jewish | jew | czechoslovakia | doctor | nazi | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

Czechoslovakia

Language:

Czech

Release Date:

6 May 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

...and the Fifth Horseman Is Fear

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmové studio Barrandov

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in The Projectionist (1971)

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Soundtracks

"Lili Marleen"
(uncredited)
Written by Norbert Schultze and Hans Leip
Played and sung during the bordello sequence

User Reviews

A superb Holocaust film that definitely should be revisited now!

I remember seeing this film when I was much younger and was so taken / moved by it that I've been trying to find it to own. The depiction of the main character's descent into near madness by the evil Nazi occupiers is probably one of the finest performances ever! This movie should DEFINITELY be taped and released as soon as possible.