Signum Laudis

1980 film

October 1, 1980 (1980-10-01)

Running time

85 minutesCountryCzechoslovakiaLanguageSlovak

Signum Laudis is a 1980 Czechoslovak war drama film directed by Martin Hollý. It is set during World War I.^[2]

Plot

The film is set on the Eastern Front of World War I. Corporal Hoferik becomes a commander of his unit after the commanding officers are killed. He leads his men to an attack that leads to high casualties. Hoferik and his men are then pulled out to the rear. Hoferik's unit is part of Ziegler's regiment. The regiment is visited by General Berger and his staff. Berger and his staff doesn't know much about life on the front. Berger awards Hoferik the Signum Laudis. Hoferik is happy and wants to celebrate with his men but they hate him for his eagerness and fanaticism. They decline. Next day the estate where Hoferik's unit reside surrounded by enemies. Berger orders the regiment to attack but it is decimated. Hoferik's unit and Berger's staff escapes the estate but old General Gross is killed in a fight with enemy. Soldiers are in a hopeless situation and officers want to surrender. Hoferik wants to fight to the last men which leads other officers to hold a court during which is Hoferik accused of Gross' murder and sentenced to death. Hoferik is executed. Officers then order the remaining soldiers to strike the enemy and they (the soldiers) are all killed. Officers meanwhile surrender to enemy.

Cast

Vlado Müller as Corporal Adalbert Hoferik
Josef Bláha as Captain Bruno König
Ilja Prachař as General Friedrich Berger
Radovan Lukavský as General Friedrich Gross
Jiří Kodet as First Lieutenant Kostolány
Oldřich Velen as Colonel Reznitzek
Ladislav Frej as Lieutenant Colonel Rudolf Ziegler
Pavel Zedníček as Feldwebel J. A. Wimmer
Miroslav Zounar as Lieutenant Hans von Pallawski
Jan Skopeček as Reisch known as Father

Reception

Accolades

Date of ceremony	Event	Award	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref(s)
1980	Karlovy Vary International Film Festival	Special Jury Award		Won	^[3]
1981	Czech and Slovak Film Festival Kladno	Award for music	Zdeněk Liška	Won
1982	Klement Gottwald State Awards		State Award	Won
1982	Film and Theatre Survey	The most popular actor	Vlado Müller	Won
1990	Finále Plzeň Film Festival	Kingfisher ex aequo		Won

References

^ "Zemřel režisér Martin Hollý". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 16 October 2017.
^ "Signum laudis (1980)". Czech and Slovak Film Database. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
^ "Signum laudis (1980) – Filmový přehled". Filmový přehled (in Czech). Retrieved 16 October 2017.