Opouštět Petrohrad

A mid-length television play on one of Oldřich Daněk's favorite historical topics. These psychologizing little historical dramas were something Daněk simply knew how to make, and he could write characters tailor-made for the actors. The plot revolves around the wife of a tsarist officer who participated in the Decembrist uprising and was sentenced to exile in Siberia. Tereza Brodská as his wife is determined to follow him there. The play is strong in its casting, with a notable performance in a smaller yet significant role by Josef Vinklář as a high-ranking official of the tsar's security detail. He embodies the typical negative character, as if cut from his own repertoire. Overall impression: 60%. (2007-10-20)