Dark Blue World (2001) - Synopsis
Our story begins at the height of the Cold War, 1950 in Communist-ruled, post-war Czechoslovakia. Franta Slama (Ondrej Vetchy) - a man in his early forties - is confined to a labour camp as an "enemy of the people". The new Communist State deemed him contaminated by the Western ideals of democracy and freedom during his time as an RAF pilot and as such a potential threat to the State. Suffering from pneumonia, he is transferred to the infirmary where Houf, a fellow inmate, becomes his confidant. Franta explains that his "crime against the State" was being a fighter pilot in the British Royal Air Force during WWII.
We flashback to March 1939, just before world peace is irredeemably shattered. Franta congratulates his protégé - fresh faced young trainee pilot Karel Vojtisek (Krystof Hadek) - for passing his flying test. That evening, Franta's romantic tryst with his beloved Hanicka is rudely interrupted by the Nazi invasion of their country.
Franta and Karel escape together and make their way to England. At an RAF airbase they are re-united with other Czech pilots. There is a strong best friend/father-son bond between the two men. Franta acts as a mentor while Karel naively pursues first love. They are frustrated at not being allowed to fly against the enemy until they can speak English and their RAF re-training is completed. It is slow and torturous while above them, each day, the war rages.
Eventually, three months later, they are scrambled, but the pilots' joy is swiftly tempered by the death of their youngest and most vulnerable compatriot Tom Tom - so nick-named because of his stutter.
Another mission, and Karel takes a direct hit. His fate is the same as Tom Tom's - or so it seems. Franta watches in horror as his friend's plane crashes into a field. Unbeknown to him, Karel has bailed out. As night falls, Karel arrives at a remote cottage and is taken in by Susan (Tara Fitzgerald), a beautiful woman whose Navy husband is missing in action. After nursing his cuts and feeding him, Susan, in a moment of weakness, makes love to Karel and relieves him of his virginity. The next morning, Karel is awoken by a bunch of small children who Karel mistakes as Susan's family. He asks her if it's normal for British families to be so large. Susan laughingly explains that they are evacuees from the German bombing of London.
Karel makes his way back to the base and Franta is overjoyed. Karel tells him that he has fallen in love, and soon afterwards takes him to meet the beautiful Susan. Franta and Susan are instantly attracted to each other. Somehow, the tension of war and the fact that life and death are daily occurrences, brings these two people together very suddenly and very intensely.
One foggy day, Karel receives a letter from Susan saying that their night together had been a mistake. Heart-broken, he sets off to find her. However, that same evening, Susan arrives at the airbase to see Franta and confesses her love for him. Franta, racked with guilt, but unable to repress his desire, falls headlong into a passionate affair with her.
Sometime later, Karel flies over Susan's house and spies Franta's car parked outside. When Franta returns to the base, a drunken Karel lunges at him. In the heat of an air battle, Franta is convinced that Karel fired on him deliberately. Wing Commander Bentley (Charles Dance) intervenes and the accusation is disproved. Quite the contrary, it was Karel's marksmanship that saved Franta's life. Franta apologises, but Karel is inconsolable.
Whilst escorting a fleet of bombers over the English Channel, Franta's plane malfunctions and crashes into the sea. Franta survives, but his rubber dinghy overinflates and bursts. Karel, seeing Franta's plight, attempts to save him by trying to push his own dinghy out of his cockpit. But the dinghy inflates too fast, obscuring Karel's vision and his plane plunges into the sea. The dinghy pops up intact and Franta is saved - the price is Karel's life.
After Franta has recuperated he sets off to visit Susan only to discover that her husband, Charles, has returned - a paraplegic. It's clear to him where Susan's duty lies.
Post-war Czechoslovakia is hardly recognisable to Franta. Hanicka, hearing falsely that Franta was dead, had married the stationmaster, Kanka, and has a daughter. Even Franta's dog, Barce, which he left behind in Hanicka's care, now has another owner - the little girl.
Back in the labour camp, Franta's comfort lies in his realisation that, in spite of the loss of the two most important women in his life, as well as his best friend, he has survived. There is little that life can throw at him which can break his spirit. He has come to terms with his sense of guilt over his friend's sacrifice and senses the constant presence of Karel's spirit.
