Adelheid (film)

Plot

A decommissioned Czechoslovak officer Viktor Chotovický (Petr Čepek) returns to his homeland from the Western front after spending much of the war in Aberdeen, Scotland employed at a RAF desk job. He is being appointed the trustee of an empty manor formerly occupied by a German family of a notorious Nazi war-criminal imprisoned by the Czechoslovak authorities. The soldier Viktor Chotovický meets his beautiful daughter Adelheid Heidenmann (Emma Černá), sister of an SS officer who allegedly disappeared in the Eastern Front. Adelheid is forced to work as a cleaning lady at her own mansion. Viktor makes her his captive maid, and soon falls in love with her. His heart is torn between feelings of desire and his national identity and sympathies. Adelheid also slowly gains certain sympathy towards Viktor, but at the same time silently waits for her brother Hansgeorg to return, which he does and Viktor scarcely escapes the death. Despite her action against him, Viktor refuses to testify against Adelheid because he doesn't have anybody else.

Creation

As well as other Körner's novels the story is set in Sudetenland in Northern Moravia, but the movie was shot in Lužec castle located close the town of Vroutek (German: Rudig) in western Bohemia and in the villages close to Liberec in Northern Bohemia.

The soundtrack, adapted by Zdeněk Liška is based on existing music by Bach and Strauss, which complements the atmosphere of the film. The film was produced by Film Studio Barrandov Czechoslovakia in 1969.

Cast