High Blue Wall | |
Director: | Vladimír Čech |
Starring: | Martin Růžek Jiří Bednář |
Music: | Štěpán Lucký |
Released: | [1] |
Runtime: | 91 minutes |
Country: | Czechoslovakia |
Language: | Czech |
High Blue Wall (Czech: Vysoká modrá zeď) is a 1974 Czechoslovak action drama film directed by Vladimír Čech.[2] It is inspired by Air battle over Merklín.[1] [3] It is first Czech film that used 70 mm technology.[4] The film is sometimes called 1970s Czech Top Gun.[5] it wasn't very successful with audiences and gained negative reception.[6]
Young captain Jelínek recalls events of 1951 when he joined military unit at the western border. He was a second-in-command responsible for political issues. The commander of the flying unit, general Dvořák was imprisoned in a concentration camp during the World War II and later dedicated his family life to his profession. Dvořák forbids Jelínek from organizing pilots as volunteers to built new apartments, but tolerates his relationship to a secretary Libuška. The unit expects a supply of new Soviet fighters to provide for the "high blue wall" - protection against western armies as old aircraft are unable to prevent the intrusions American fighters. Two Czech soldiers fly over to West Germany. Pilot Netopil though returns back soon. His apology for an emergency landing is accepted, but despite that, he is transferred to ground maintenance and supplies. Dvořák is unhappy about death of a nineteen years old pilot of the Aero Club, whose shot down he had to approve. The crash of an air balloon with an airliner causes death of several civilians. Soviet instructors arrive with the new aircraft and Czech pilots undertake training. In a short time they have an opportunity to demonstrate their skills against intruding American fighters.