Karel Cernik (Fredric March) manages a travelling circus in Communist Czechoslovakia. It used to be his but the state took ownership from him and allowed him to continue as manager. The police monitor him closely and interfere by telling him what to include in his shows and even which members of staff to sack. He tours the country and his next show is near the border with Bavaria. He has a plan to escape with his troupe............
I don't like circuses and the freaks that go with it. And I don't find anything funny about clowns - I find them disturbing. But, I liked this film. It has a good story that keeps you watching and the action does not focus for long on the acts within the circus. It is a cat and mouse tale against the authorities. Will Karel's plot to escape the country be successful?
Within the main story, there are other sup-plots, eg, his relationship with his wife Zama (Gloria Grahame) and the emergence of a traitor within the group. The cast are all good and there is a very warm, funny scene between Karel and his rival circus manager. I found that the two women Zama (Gloria Grahame) and Tereza (Terry Moore) were too similar and it was difficult to work out who was who when either appeared on the screen. The film is good but it has a downbeat ending...
I don't like circuses and the freaks that go with it. And I don't find anything funny about clowns - I find them disturbing. But, I liked this film. It has a good story that keeps you watching and the action does not focus for long on the acts within the circus. It is a cat and mouse tale against the authorities. Will Karel's plot to escape the country be successful?
Within the main story, there are other sup-plots, eg, his relationship with his wife Zama (Gloria Grahame) and the emergence of a traitor within the group. The cast are all good and there is a very warm, funny scene between Karel and his rival circus manager. I found that the two women Zama (Gloria Grahame) and Tereza (Terry Moore) were too similar and it was difficult to work out who was who when either appeared on the screen. The film is good but it has a downbeat ending...