A 2001 Czech-British film directed by Jan Sverak about two men's (Ondrej Vetchy and Krystof Hadek) friendship being tested by the love of the same woman (Tara Fitzgerald).
The movie also stars Charles Dance, Oldrich Kaiser, David Novotny, Linda Rybova, Miroslav Taborsky, and Anna Massey.
It was released on May 17, 2001.
Tropes for the film:
- Agent Provocateur: One of the inmates in the post-war prison in Communist Czechoslovakia suggests they steal a tool from the doctor's office and use it to break out. Later he admits the guards put him up to it, so they could have an excuse to beat up Franta Slama.
- Hiding Behind the Language Barrier: Slama and Karel openly discuss the breasts of a British woman, Susan, one of them is seeing, right in front of the woman in question.
- My Girl Back Home: The girl is more attracted to dashing fighter pilot Franta than the station master who serenades outside her window every night. But Franta has to go to England after the occupation of Czechoslovakia; when he returns, he finds she's married the station master and even his dog doesn't recognise him.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Franta is imprisoned after the war by the Communists for the 'crime' of having joined a foreign air force (never mind it was to fight Fascism). Ironically one of his fellow inmates is a fascist sympathizer who fought for the Germans.
- Period Piece: Takes place first in the The '50s, with flashbacks to World War II.
- Spent Shells Shower: Casings are seen ejected from the Spitfires during the mid-air battles. According to the
DVD Commentary, the director made a point of including this, having owned toy Spitfires as a boy and noting the ejector ports. - Smooch of Victory: From a male American bomber pilot after the Czechs save their asses.
