The Shop on Main Street (1965)

★ 7.1 2h 8m IMDb
Drama War
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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.

The Shop on Main Street

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Cast

Ida Kamińska
Ida Kamińska as Rozalia Lautmannová Died 1980 · Odessa, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire [now Ukraine] Ida Kamińska (September 18, 1899 – May 21, 1980) was an Academy Award-nominated actress. She began a stage career at the age of five. Her first theater role was in 1912 in Mirele Efros, with her mothe...
Jozef Kroner
Jozef Kroner as Antonin 'Tono' Brtko Died 1998 · Staškov, Czechoslovakia
František Zvarík
František Zvarík as Markus Kolkocký Died 2008 · Vrútky by Martin, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]
Elena Zvaríková-Pappová
Elena Zvaríková-Pappová as Ruzena Kolkocká Died 1974 · Bratislava, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]
Martin Gregor
Martin Gregor as Jozef Katz Died 1982 · Trnava, Uhry, Austria-Hungary [now Slovakia]
Adam Matejka
Adam Matejka as Piti Báci Died 1988
Director Ján Kadár
Cast Ida Kamińska, Jozef Kroner, František Zvarík, Hana Slivková, Martin Hollý, Elena Zvaríková-Pappová, Martin Gregor, Adam Matejka, Mikuláš Ladižinský, Alojz Kramár

Audience Reviews

griggs79 9/10 Jun 25, 2025
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.

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