Rudolf Hrusinsky, the legendary actor–icon of the Czech New Wave, returned to the screen after years of blacklisted absence to power this sparse drama of a kindly, lonely man living out an internal exile. When his wife emigrates, an elderly doctor relocates to a rural village, easing his loneliness through reflection, nature, and a paternal friendship with a young pregnant woman. Dialogue is cut to a minimum; words are rendered almost useless, in fact. Hrusinsky's bearing and pacing, and Vlácil's masterful control of imagery, sound, and rhythm, express everything that has been, could be, and will be said about solitude and humanity. Together, Hrusinsky and Vlácil take this simple theme and infuse it with a lyrical insight of heartbreaking proportions.