Death Behind a Curtain

Death Behind a Curtain

1967 · 87 min · ★ 7.0 · Crime

Members of an organised group smuggling heroin from France to Italy send a new shipment of the drug via Sweden, the GDR and Czechoslovakia. A new ballet is about to premiere at the Fibich Theatre in Prague. However, the situation is complicated by a horrific event: prima ballerina Milada Havlová is found dead in her dressing room. The autopsy and the first analyses reveal that she died of a heroin overdose. Captain Chrástek is in charge of the investigation and believes that it is not an accident but murder. An investigation unfolds that reveals not only the strained relationships between the members of the ballet company, but above all an international criminal network...

Directed by Antonín Kachlík · Written by Pavel Hejcman

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Cast

Lubomír Lipský choreograf Laube
Stanislav Šimek tanečník Procházka
Miroslav Horníček kapitán Chrástek
Jaroslav Satoranský poručík Mareček
Lenka Fišerová tanečnice Jana Pilátová
Gabriela Vránová průvodkyně zájezdů Alena Volná
Květa Fialová tanečnice Milada Havlová
Jiří Vršťala pašerák Filip Lavedan
Waldemar Matuška pašerák Orbigny
Jiří Mikota nadporučík Antoš
Ilja Prachař ředitel divadla Macek
Josef Langmiler dirigent Krejčí

Make it a double feature

2h 41m together

Death Behind a Curtain

We, the Lost Girls

Both from Antonín Kachlík.

More from Antonín KachlíkSee all →

Jezdec formule risk

Jezdec formule risk · 1973

Jezdec formule risk

The story of a juvenile delinquent who, despite society's efforts to reform him, irrevocably ruined his life.

We, the Lost Girls

We, the Lost Girls · 1972

We, the Lost Girls

MovieDramaFamily

Zofie and Dominika, two girls of very different temperaments, become friends during hop-picking volunteer work in the summer. Zofie (Jaroslava Schallerová) is serious to the point of reticence and she is delighted with her friendship with Dominika. For the self-assured and superficial Dominika (Irena Svárová) the whole thing is just a momentary whim. When she leaves the work camp before everybody else, she doesn't even say goodbye to Zofie. The two girls meet again after the holidays as first-year students at medical school, and become close again during the nursing techniques class.

Požáry a spáleniště

Požáry a spáleniště · 1981

Požáry a spáleniště

Antonín Kachlík wanted to make committed films about the moral dilemmas of the working class, but in the era of normalisation, he could only proclaim how faltering individuals would eventually come to the desired thinking. This is also true of the adaptation of Jiří Švejda's book about the wavering career of a young brickmaking technologist - the simplistic drawing of characters and plots, the posterishly lifeless language and the textbook discussion of social ills are all objectionable; the ideal becomes the code of the socialist builder.

Kouzelníkův návrat

Kouzelníkův návrat · 1985

Kouzelníkův návrat

Although the title would suggest it, this film has nothing to do with fairy tales at all: it takes place in the North Moravian border region just after the end of the Second War. It presents a fragmented mosaic of the fates of many people, returnees and immigrants, who tried to start a new life and believed in a happier tomorrow. Although the director Antonín Kachlík tried to give the story a certain credibility, he submits to the ideological demands of the 1980s. North Moravian borderlands in the first post-war year: a disparate and fragmented sequence of episodes depicts the individual fates of returnees and new immigrants. Another title that perhaps did not even need to be created.

Zločin v Modré hvězdě

Zločin v Modré hvězdě · 1974

Zločin v Modré hvězdě

MovieDramaHistory

It is 1920, political unrest is growing in Prague and the Social Democrats are about to betray their historic mission by prioritising their own selfish interests instead of those of the working class. An extortionist scandal falls on the Social Democratic deputy Jandák, forcing him to renounce his convictions. Under these circumstances, the seriously ill Hungarian revolutionary Kerekes, who had to flee his homeland, is hiding in Prague...

Pršelo jim štěstí

Pršelo jim štěstí · 1964

Pršelo jim štěstí

Office worker Věra has a big day ahead of her, full of preparations, as her wedding to her boyfriend Zdeněk is coming up. During this time, she has had time to think since morning, and even a small action, a look at a photo or a specific word, can revive memories of what preceded this day in her mind. Immersed in herself, she returns to her relationship with Zdeněk, reflects on her family and her colleagues from the tractor factory where she met Zdeněk. However, these fragments do not evoke a feeling of happiness in her, but rather doubts and bitterness. However, she still hopes that today is the beginning of a new life for her, that everything that was said by her beloved and others will pass away today.

Bitter Love

Bitter Love · 1958

The elder son of the farmer Marunáč dies of a work accident. His wife and younger brother fall in love and try to break free from their despotic father.

Radost až do rána

Radost až do rána · 1979

Radost až do rána

A psychological story about dissatisfied individuals who despise the stereotypes of others, but create their own. Kazan, a vagabond through life, and Viola, who always settles for the ideal, form a disparate pair who eventually find the one.

The Moravian Land

The Moravian Land · 1978

The Moravian Land

The reason for making this film is clear: it was to cover up Vojtěch Jasný's famous chronicle "All the Good Natives", an account of the tragic consequences of forced collectivisation. The pro-regime director Antonín Kachlík also focuses on the socialisation of the Moravian village, accompanied by mistakes and coercion, but in his optimistic view he emphasises the hopeful prospects leading to a happy future. Although the united village lands were born in pain, they will serve for the benefit of all the working people... As with Jasný, Radek Brzobohatý embodies the stubborn peasant, who is only slowly acknowledging the benefits of communal farming. However, unlike the poetic exuberance and pithiness of Jasný's chronicle, here we encounter a vicious posturing.

Zatoulané dělo

Zatoulané dělo · 1959

Zatoulané dělo

A lone military unit carrying a cannon is stopped while moving from the training area by a gamekeeper who is in extreme distress because his son is seriously ill and needs acute medical attention. The lieutenant hesitates for a moment whether to help or move on...

Náš dědek Josef

Náš dědek Josef · 1977

Náš dědek Josef

Set in a 1950s Moravian wine village, an elderly Josef, guided by his quirky life philosophy and humor, recalls key moments from his past. Across nine seasonal vignettes filled with local folklore and customs, he and his fellow elders remain fully engaged in the joys and trials of village life.

Prince Bajaja

Prince Bajaja · 1971

MovieFamilyFantasy

The hero of this popular fairy tale is a young prince who, after the death of his parents, goes out into the world. During his travels he meets a magical talking horse and falls in love with the beautiful princess Slavna. On the advice of his horse, he binds one eye and pretends to be dumb and enters into service as the castle gardener.

Dvacátý devátý

Dvacátý devátý · 1975

Dvacátý devátý

MovieHistoryDrama

In the era of normalisation, a number of (pseudo)historical films were made, even described as reconstructions, which glorified the world-building mission of the Communist Party and attributed to it exclusively humanitarian intentions ("Days of Betrayal", "Sokolovo", "Liberation of Prague", "The Victorious People"). In 1929, when its fifth congress met, Klement Gottwald, who had taken the line of the Russian Bolsheviks, took over the leadership of the Communists...

Florenc 13,30

Florenc 13,30 · 1957

The plot of the film follows a bus ride on the Prague - Karlovy Vary route and the actions of the people on it. A diverse group of people with various interests, professions and personalities gathered on the bus. Their encounter in the close environment of the bus gave the opportunity to create a whole series of good humorous situations. The ride on the express bus is a symbolic example of the contemporary life of our society, in which, just like when riding a bus, it is necessary to suppress many private interests and selfish qualities in order to successfully reach the destination.

On a Wayward Princess

On a Wayward Princess · 1987

On a Wayward Princess

MovieFamilyFantasy

Princess Julia doesn't want to marry an old prince Hubert so she runs away from home. She meets two old magicians and join the circus, where she meets lovely Franta Kuldan and evil devil performer.

I, Mournful God

I, Mournful God · 1969

I, Mournful God

MovieDramaComedy

Adolf, the irresistible seducer of women, is fond of Janicka, a novice opera singer. The girl, however, prefers famous men and Adolf thus does not have a single chance with her. One day in a hospital, he meets a Greek partisan named Apostolek who impresses him with his spontaneity and ease in solving all problems, especially those with women. Adolf has an idea for a revenge. He makes Apostolek familiar with social manners, dresses him after the latest fashion and introduces him to Janicka as a Greek conductor. Janicka instantly falls in love with the made-up composer and Apostolek does no better.

More Like This

Absolute Power

Absolute Power · 1997

MovieCrimeDrama

A master thief coincidentally is robbing a house where a murder—in which the President of the United States is involved—occurs in front of his eyes. He is forced to run, while holding evidence that could convict the President.

A Prayer Before Dawn

A Prayer Before Dawn · 2018

A Prayer Before Dawn

MovieDramaAction

The amazing true story of Billy Moore, an English boxer incarcerated in Thailand’s most notorious prison. Thrown into a world of drugs and violence, he finds his best chance to escape is to fight his way out in prison Muay Thai tournaments.

Anatomy of a Murder

Anatomy of a Murder · 1959

Anatomy of a Murder

MovieCrimeDrama

Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler takes the case of Army Lt. Manion, who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District Attorney Lodwick and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer to set his client free, but his case rests on the victim's mysterious business partner, who's hiding a dark secret.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

O Brother, Where Art Thou? · 2000

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

MovieAdventureComedy

In the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.

Along Came a Spider

Along Came a Spider · 2001

Along Came a Spider

MovieCrimeMystery

After the harrowing death of his partner, forensic psychologist and best-selling author Alex Cross cannot forgive himself and has retreated to the peace of retirement. But when a brilliant criminal kidnaps a senator's young daughter, he is lured back into action as the kidnapper wants to deal with Alex personally. Teamed with Jezzie Flanigan, the Secret Service agent assigned to protect the missing girl, Alex follows a serpentine trail of clues that leads him to a stunning discovery - the kidnapper wants more than just ransom.

Payback

Payback · 1999

MovieActionDrama

With friends like these, who needs enemies? That's the question bad guy Porter is left asking after his wife and partner steal his heist money and leave him for dead -- or so they think. Five months and an endless reservoir of bitterness later, Porter's partners and the crooked cops on his tail learn how bad payback can be.

The General's Daughter

The General's Daughter · 1999

The General's Daughter

MovieThrillerMystery

When the body of Army Capt. Elisabeth Campbell is found on a Georgia military base, two investigators, Warrant Officers Paul Brenner and Sara Sunhill, are ordered to solve her murder. What they uncover is anything but clear-cut. Unseemly details emerge about Campbell's life, leading to allegations of a possible military coverup of her death and the involvement of her father, Lt. Gen. Joseph Campbell.

B. Monkey

B. Monkey · 1999

MovieRomanceCrime

When wistful introvert Alan Furnace meets quick-witted bombshell Beatrice, he has no idea of her secret life as "B. Monkey" -- the top thief-for-hire in London's criminal underworld. Charmed by Furnace's innocent and chivalrous ways, Beatrice resolves to reform. But to cash in on her first chance at real love, she must escape her former partner in crime, the ruthless Paul Neville -- and a dark past that seems to haunt her every step.

The Trial

The Trial · 1962

MovieCrimeDrama

Arrested for an unnamed crime, Josef K. is trapped in a surreal bureaucratic maze where justice is unknowable and guilt is assumed.

Seance on a Wet Afternoon

Seance on a Wet Afternoon · 1964

Seance on a Wet Afternoon

MovieCrimeThriller

Working-class British housewife Myra Savage reinvents herself as a medium, holding seances in the sitting room of her home with the hidden assistance of her under-employed, asthmatic husband, Billy. In an attempt to enhance her credibility as a psychic, Myra hatches an elaborate, ill-conceived plot to kidnap a wealthy couple's young daughter so that she can then help the police "find" the missing girl.

Naked Lunch

Naked Lunch · 1991

MovieCrimeDrama

Blank-faced bug killer Bill Lee and his dead-eyed wife, Joan, like to get high on Bill's pest poisons while lounging with Beat poet pals. After meeting the devilish Dr. Benway, Bill gets a drug made from a centipede. Upon indulging, he accidentally kills Joan, takes orders from his typewriter-turned-cockroach, ends up in a constantly mutating Mediterranean city and learns that his hip friends have published his work -- which he doesn't remember writing.

Adaptation.

Adaptation. · 2002

MovieComedyCrime

Charlie Kaufman is a confused L.A. screenwriter overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration, self-loathing, and by the screenwriting ambitions of his freeloading twin brother Donald. While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief," by Susan Orlean, Kaufman's life spins from pathetic to bizarre. The lives of Kaufman and Orlean's book become strangely intertwined as each one's search for passion collides with the other's.

The Night of the Hunter

The Night of the Hunter · 1955

The Night of the Hunter

MovieCrimeDrama

In Depression-era West Virginia, a serial-killing preacher hunts two young children who know the whereabouts of a stash of money.

1922

MovieHorrorCrime

A simple yet proud rancher conspires to murder his wife for financial gain, convincing his teenage son to participate.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter