7.6/10
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Diamonds of the Night (1964)

Démanty noci (original title)
| Drama , War | 14 March 1968 (USA)
Diamonds of the Night Poster
Diamonds in the night is the tense, brutal story of two Jewish boys who escape from a train transporting them from one concentration camp to another. Ultimately, they are hunted down by a ... See full summary »

Director:

Jan Nemec

Writers:

Arnost Lustig (story "Darkness has no Shadows"), Jan Nemec

Stars:

Ladislav Jánsky, Antonín Kumbera, Ilse Bischofova | See full cast & crew »
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1 win. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ladislav Jánsky Ladislav Jánsky ... 1st Boy
Antonín Kumbera Antonín Kumbera ... 2nd Boy
Ilse Bischofova Ilse Bischofova ... The Woman (as Irma Bischofova)
Ivan Asic Ivan Asic
Jan Riha Jan Riha
August Bischof August Bischof
Josef Koggel Josef Koggel
Oskar Müller Oskar Müller
Anton Schich Anton Schich
Rudolf Stolle Rudolf Stolle
Josef Koblizek Josef Koblizek
Josef Kubat Josef Kubat
Rudolf Lukásek Rudolf Lukásek
Bohumil Moudry Bohumil Moudry
Karel Navratil Karel Navratil
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Diamonds in the night is the tense, brutal story of two Jewish boys who escape from a train transporting them from one concentration camp to another. Ultimately, they are hunted down by a group of old, armed home-guardists. The film goes beyond the themes of war and anti-Nazism and concerns itself with man's struggle to preserve human dignity. Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

escape | hunger | beer drinking | running | tram | See All (46) »

Genres:

Drama | War

Certificate:

See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Czechoslovakia

Language:

German | Czech

Release Date:

14 March 1968 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Diamonds of the Night See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ceskoslovenský Filmexport See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in I tempi felici verranno presto (2016) See more »

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User Reviews

 
A jewel that deserves to see the light of day.
11 May 2007 | by brefane – See all my reviews

This surrealist masterpiece directed by Jan Nemec has had limited exhibition in the US. Mostly seen at film festivals and in museums, this 63 minute film concerns two boys who escape from a train taking them to a Nazi death camp. As they run through dense, rugged and unfamiliar terrain, their escape is interpolated with their dreams, hallucinations, fantasies, and memories. Like Forbidden Games, Fires on the Plains, and Grand Illusion, Diamonds of the Night is an anti-war film that does not deal with actual warfare. With a minimum of dialog, the film conveys the boys' physical and psychological deterioration with a maximum of cinematic bravura. This sadly neglected film deserves a Criterion DVD release.
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