The Ear

{{Short description|Czech flm completed in 1970 and released in 1990}}

{{Infobox film

| name = The Ear

| image = The Ear (1990) Film Poster.jpg

| caption = Film poster

| native_name = {{Infobox name module

| language = Czech

| title = Ucho

| nolink = 0

}}

| director = Karel Kachyňa

| producer = Karel Vejřík

| screenplay = Karel Kachyňa
Jan Procházka

| story = Jan Procházka

| starring = Jiřina Bohdalová
Radoslav Brzobohatý

| narrator =

| music = Svatopluk Havelka

| cinematography = Josef Illík

| editing = Miroslav Hájek

| studio = Filmové studio Barrandov

| distributor = Ústřední půjčovna filmů

| released = {{Film date|1990|1|1|Czechoslovakia}}

| runtime = 94 minutes

| country = Czechoslovakia

| language = Czech

| budget =

}}

The Ear ({{langx|cs|Ucho}}) is a Czech language film by Karel Kachyňa, completed in 1970. This film was banned by the nation's ruling Communist party (who were supported by the occupying Soviet forces).{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BxIzBwAAQBAJ&q=banned&pg=PA162 |title = Czech New Wave Filmmakers in Interviews|isbn = 9780786417209|last1 = Buchar|first1 = Robert|date = 2003-10-24}} It wasn't released until the fall of the communist regime in 1989.

Plot

The film is about a bitter married couple that consists of Ludvík, a senior official of Prague's ruling Communist regime, and his alcoholic wife Anna. They return home after attending a political party dinner and notice their home has been broken into. Several strange occurrences, including the disappearance of their spare house keys and dead phone lines, lead them to believe that they are under surveillance by their own government. As the night progresses, the flaws of their marriage and of each other are exposed.

Cast

Radoslav Brzobohatý as Ludvík
Jiřina Bohdalová as Anna
Jiří Císler as Standa
Miroslav Holub as Russian general
Milica Kolofiková as Woman at the party
Jaroslav Moučka as Vagera

Awards

1990 Cannes Film Festival - Nominated for the Golden Palm for Karel Kachyňa.{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/161/year/1990.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Ucho |access-date=2009-08-07|work=festival-cannes.com}}