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Two Movies About the Good
S oldier Š vejk
By Chudnitsov N.

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About
Movies
The main hero is J osef Š vejk, a cunning simpleton whose «idiotic» bluntness exposes
the absurdity of war. The movies are based on J aroslav Hašek's immortal novel. They
were directed by the Czech filmmaker Karel S teklý, who made the diptych of millitary
comedy - The Good S oldier Š vejk (1 957) and Beg to Report (1 958). The lead actor is
Rudolf Hrušínský, who created one of the greatest screen portrayals of the famous

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J aroslav Hašek (30 April 1 883 – 3
J anuary 1 923)
Karel Steklý (9
October 1 903 – 5
J uly 1 987)
Rudolf Hrušínský (1 7
October 1 920 – 1 3
April 1 994)

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F ilm №1 – The Good
S oldier Š vejk (1 957)
This movie is an adaptation of the first part (Behind the Lines) of Hašek's
novel (The Good S oldier Š vejk and His F ortunes in the World War). The plot:
Prague, 1 91 4, beggining of WW1 . A dog-seller suffering from rheumatism,
Š vejk enthusiastically sets off to war. Getting into police custody, a
madhouse, and the garrison jail, then as a orderly to Father Otto Katz, who
loses Š vejk in cards to Lieutenant Lukasz later. Through his chatter, he
innocently dismantles the bureaucratic machine with his naive simplicity. The

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F ilm №2 – Beg to
Report (1 958)
This movie is an adaptation of part II (At the Front), III (The Glorious Flogging) and IV (The
Glorious Flogging Continued). The sequel begins with Lieutenant Lukas and his orderly Š vejk
being transferred to the marsch battalion in Č eské Budějovice. When Š vejk and a conductor
accidentally pull the emergency brake, he is ordered to pay a penalty and, after drinking away
money a stranger gave him for a new ticket, begins the legendary "Budějovice anabasis" — a 1 61 kilometer journey on foot that is the film's centerpiece. Along the way, he is accused of being a
Russian spy, gets lost repeatedly, and stumbles into one grotesque situation after another. When
he finally reaches the front, he is arrested again — this time for wearing a captured Russian
uniform as a souvenir during the Russian retreat, which his superiors mistake for desertion. The
film ends, just like Hašek's unfinished novel, without resolution in the middle of the wartime chaos.

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Rudolf Hrušínský –
Master of
Transformation
Rudolf Hrušínský has came from an acting dynasty (his mother was actress-dancer
Hermína Červíčková, his father an actor) and was literally born on a theatre stage – his
mother came out for a curtain call just before giving birth. He performed on stage from
childhood and began his professional career in 1935. From 1960 to 1994 he was a
member of the National Theatre in Prague. His filmography includes about 140 roles. True
fame came at age 32 with his portrayal of Švejk. He believed that Švejk was not stupid
but wise, using naivety as a shield. He also starred in many cult films, such as The

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Conclusion
Karel Steklý’s diptych with Rudolf Hrušínský is considered a
classic that most faithfully captures the spirit of Hašek’s novel.
More than 60 years later, these movies remains relevant.
Their hero — the cunning, kind, yet dangerous-to-all-stupidity
soldier Švejk — continues his eternal march through the
world.

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Thank you for
your attention! :)