The Portrait

The Portrait — Plot

People are afraid of the usurer Chazaj and are convinced that he is the bearer of evil. One day Chazaj pays a visit to the poor artist Simon Jordán and asks him to paint his portrait. Simon agrees but as he progresses with the work his mind conjures up terrible thoughts and in the end he commits suicide. The portrait looks lifelike and Chazaj is content with the results. After Chazaj's death the picture changes hands and brings misfortune to all who own it. The last victim is the young painter Roman who buys Chazaj's portrait in a bazaar. He finds a treasure in the frame and begins to live well off it. The comfortable life suits him so well that he rejects his original artistic aims and becomes a painter of fashionable kitsch.

• Release date
• January 9, 1948
• Runtime
• 87 min
• Genres
• Fantasy, Horror
• Director
• Jiří Slavíček

The Portrait — Cast

Otomar Krejča Simon Jordán / Stepán Jordán Luba Skořepová Martina Jordánová Vladimír Šmeral Painter Roman

L

Ladislav Kulhánek Professor Mikulás Karel Dostal Extortioner Chazaj Rudolf Deyl Jáchym Felix le Breux Marcel Bernard Růžena Šlemrová Mrs. Viktorová