Tmavomodrý svet (2001)

Director:

Jan Sverák

Writers:

Zdenek Sverák (story) and
Zdenek Sverák (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 May 2001 (Czech Republic)

Genre:

War | Drama | Action | Romance

Plot:

The friendship of two men becomes tested when they both fall for the same woman.

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Spitfire Aircraft | Fighter Plane | Battle Of Britain | Airplane

Awards:

7 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ondrej Vetchý	...	Frantisek Sláma
Krystof Hádek	...	Karel Vojtisek
Tara Fitzgerald	...	Susan Whitmore
Charles Dance	...	Wing Commander Bentley
Oldrich Kaiser	...	Jan Machatý
David Novotný	...	Bedrich Mrtvý
Linda Rybová	...	Hanicka Pecharova
Jaromír Dulava	...	Railwayman Kanka
Lukás Kantor	...	Tom Tom
Radim Fiala	...	Jura Sysel
Juraj Bernáth	...	Jan Gregora
Miroslav Táborský	...	Vilha Houf
Hans-Jörg Assmann	...	Doctor Blaschke
Thure Riefenstein	...	German Officer Hesse
Anna Massey	...	English Teacher

Also Known As:

Dark Blue World (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
Leidenschaft in dunklen Tagen (Germany) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

Czech Republic | UK | Germany | Denmark | Italy

Language:

Czech | German | English | Slovak

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-7 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | UK:12 | USA:R | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Czech Republic

Company:

Biograf Jan Sverak

Trivia:

The most expensive Czech movie so far. The most expensive scene from total budget of 8 milion USD is where British Spitfire attacks German train. It cost more than the whole Oscar-winning Sverak's movie Kolya (Kolja).

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the language teaching scenes there are some model airplanes hung up from the ceiling. Two of these are the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and the TBF Avenger. Both of these airplanes were not built and put into service until long after America came into the war and this scene takes place in 1940.

Quotes:

Cpl. Pierce: [singing, to the tune of the Colonel Bogey March] 'itler, 'as only got one ball. Goering, has two but very small. 'immler, 'as somethin' simm'lar, and Goebbles 'as nothin' down there at all.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Battle of Britain (1969)

Soundtrack:

Svítá

Take a chance and see this low key WW2 story...

I absolutely loved this movie. Great, realistic looking combat footage for one thing and a touching, genuine story also. The calm, understated manner of the lead character, Franta, makes him very likable. The human relationships in the story seemed so very typical and possible of what you could expect in war time. The bond between Franta and Carel shows the loyalty wartime comrades can have for each other and that is often described in books and interviews with veterans. The subtitles do not detract from the story at all and actually serve to underline the problems the Czech pilots had in the RAF. The postwar storyline is a great reminder that for many the suffering of WW2 did not end in 1945, especially in Russian occupied countries. The cinematography was also very good. Wish I could have seen it on the big screen.