The Portrait
Podobizna
Release: 1948-01-09
·Runtime: 87m
·★ 6.5
Fantasy
Horror
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.
Production Countries
Czechoslovakia
Production Companies
Československá filmová společnost
Cast
Emil Bolek
as Bussinesman Viktor
Vladimír Hlavatý
Bohumil Švarc
Karel Dostal
as Extortioner Chazaj
Růžena Šlemrová
as Mrs. Viktorová
Felix le Breux
as Marcel Bernard
Luba Skořepová
as Martina Jordánová
Marie Nademlejnská
Ludmila Burešová
Jan S. Kolár
Milada Smolíková
Otomar Krejča
as Simon Jordán / Stepán Jordán
Rudolf Deyl
as Jáchym
Marta Májová
Jan W. Speerger
Zora Božinová
Vladimír Šmeral
as Painter Roman
