The Shop on Main Street

1965 2h 8m SK

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 233

DramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In a small town in Nazi-occupied Slovakia during World War II, decent but timid carpenter Tono is named "Aryan comptroller" of a button store owned by an old Jewish widow, Rozalie. Since the post comes with a salary and standing in the town's corrupt hierarchy, Tono wrestles with greed and guilt as he and Rozalie gradually befriend each other. When the authorities order all Jews in town to be rounded up, Tono faces a moral dilemma unlike any he's known before.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Ida Kamińska
Rozalia Lautmannová
Jozef Kroner
Antonin 'Tono' Brtko
František Zvarík
Markus Kolkocký
Hana Slivková
Evelyna Brtková
Martin Hollý
Imro Kuchár
Elena Zvaríková-Pappová
Ruzena Kolkocká
Martin Gregor
Jozef Katz
Adam Matejka
Piti Báci

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ján Kadár
Writers: Ladislav Grosman, Elmar Klos, Ján Kadár
Languages: German, Polish, Slovak, Yiddish
Countries: Czechoslovakia

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

61 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: German, Polish, Slovak, Yiddish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ján Kadár, shot by Vladimír Novotný. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Zdeněk Liška. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jaromír Janáček shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Ida Kamińska and Jozef Kroner and František Zvarík carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0059527 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ján Kadár directs. Vladimír Novotný behind the camera. Zdeněk Liška scores. Jaromír Janáček cuts. Produced in Czechoslovakia. Dialogue in German, Polish, Slovak, Yiddish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

161 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: German, Polish, Slovak, Yiddish.
3Directed by Ján Kadár, shot by Vladimír Novotný. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Zdeněk Liška. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Jaromír Janáček shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Ida Kamińska and Jozef Kroner and František Zvarík carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0059527 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Vladimír Novotný
Original score: Zdeněk Liška
Editing: Jaromír Janáček
Production design: Karel Škvor
Makeup / hair: Anna Volšičková
Runtime: 128 min · 2h 8m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $1,450,000
Original language: SK
IMDB: The Shop on Main Street (1965)

Awards

Targa d'Oro
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Ján Kadár

Stills · wallpapers

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

griggs792025-06-25
★ 9/10
Catastrophe sprouts from tiny choices in Slovak New Wave gem The Shop on Main Street. In 1942 a mild carpenter becomes “Aryan controller” of a Jewish widow’s button shop. He tries to stay decent; the regime leans harder. Ida Kaminska lends the widow wary warmth, every twitch caught by the lens. Directors Kadár and Klos favour steady shots, dry wit and the odd dream flicker. No gore, only rising moral torque, ending with a thud that keeps echoing.

Production companies