In late 19th century Czech-speaking Bohemia, oppressed workers at German-owned mines and foundries revolt against their harsh working conditions. Made shortly after World War II as Czechoslovakia was falling to communism, the film resonates in Czech resentment of the German occupation.

People are afraid of the usurer Chazaj and are convinced that he is the bearer of evil. One day Chazaj pays a visit to the poor artist Simon Jordán and asks him to paint his portrait. Simon agrees but as he progresses with the work his mind conjures up terrible thoughts and in the end he commits suicide. The portrait looks lifelike and Chazaj is content with the results. After Chazaj's death the picture changes hands and brings misfortune to all who own it. The last victim is the young painter Roman who buys Chazaj's portrait in a bazaar. He finds a treasure in the frame and begins to live well off it. The comfortable life suits him so well that he rejects his original artistic aims and becomes a painter of fashionable kitsch.

Cooperative members are harvesting crops, trying to get new water piping installed and preparing to plough away the field boundaries in autumn. Local kulak Voznica (Vladimír Repa) doesn't like any of this so he forces sexton Kodýtek (Vlasta Burian) to help him sabotage their efforts.

After the Battle of Lipany, the remnants of the Hussite troops concentrated under the leadership of Jan Roháč of Dubé at Sion Castle. However, he had no prospects of victory against the soldiers of the Lordship. Sion was conquered, Roháč of Dubé was captured and executed as a pest in Prague on September 9, 1437.

Elén, a girl living with her mother and stepfather in a secluded forest, has a great singing talent. On her twenty-first birthday, she runs away from home and on the train, millionaire René falls in love with her. Their paths soon diverge, only to be reunited soon after. Violinist Pavel Sedloň falls in love with Elén, and although Elén does not love him, she is determined to marry him. At that time, René dies, exhausted from working on the operetta Srdce v delirium. However, he is saved at the last moment and everything comes to a happy ending when Oldřich Nový explains how the authors actually meant it all.

The leader of the emerging organized labor movement in the 1880s, Ladislav Zápotocký-Budečský, is exiled to his native village, where he works as a tailor and continues to raise social awareness among members of the working class.

The course of an organized strike by workers from North Moravian steelworks in 1931 to resist mass layoffs during the economic crisis.

Four short stories by the greatest Czech satirist Jaroslav Hašek. "Soup for Poor Children" tells the story of how Prince Robert himself cooked soup for poor children, "Meeting of the Municipal Council in Mejdlovary" is the history of filling the position of municipal policeman, "Trampotes of Mr. Tenkrát" shows how strange events lead to marriage and promotion, "Revolt of the Convict Šejba" depicts the victorious fight of the convict Šejba for a dumpling for ministering at mass.

A biographical film about a Czech doctor, Dr. Jánský. The athletically inclined medic Jánský successfully completes his studies. He wants to become a surgeon, but finds himself in Professor Kuffner's psychiatric clinic, where, together with his colleague Kozdera, he tries to uncover the connection between blood clotting and mental illness. They make the surprising discovery that human blood can be divided into four groups and thus prevent it from clotting during transfusions. However, Jánský's discovery is met with misunderstanding by the Czech medical community...

A story about the conditions in Bohemia in the second half of the nineteenth century, when small-town officials, such as Hrdlička, succumbed to the predators of the emerging large financial and industrial bourgeoisie, represented by Jestřáb.