by Mark Murton

English Translation: Guard No. 47

Directed by: Filip Renc

Synopsis: World War I veteran Josef Dousa (Karl Roden), still haunted by his time in the trenches, settles in a small town to work for the railroad company where his pretty wife Anicka (Lucia Siposová) soon attracts the attention of lonely young gravedigger Ferda (Václav Jirácek) in this remake of a 1937 film.

Kitty Cameo: Dousa first encounters Ferda when he finds him sprawled across the snow covered railway tracks waiting to be run over by an oncoming train. Dragging him to safety, Dousa takes him inside and as Anicka makes him a hot drink they quiz him as to why he wanted to die. “Don’t you know what it’s like to be alone with no family?” snaps Ferda, looking towards the longhair black cat in its basket on nearby table.

As he continues to talk he reaches out to pet the cat, but the cat cries and jumps down onto the floor.

“Afraid of a gravedigger, you wretch? I nauseate you, don’t I?” demands Ferda, angrily raising his voice and further frightening the confused cat.

Dousa tries to placate him by telling him, “She’s afraid of people. We’ve been here a week without any visitors.” “Oh, no,” retorts Ferda, “Even beasts sense who I am.” He leaves soon after and, despite numerous other scenes at the house the cat isn’t seen again.

Final Mewsings: He really did frighten that cat for it to disappear from the film completely.

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