První parta

In the hard years of the 1930s Standa Půlpán gives up his studies because money and survival leave him no choice, and he goes down into the mines. He struggles to fit with older, closed-off miners who keep their distance, and daily life tests his patience and ideals. Standa's efforts to prove his worth are slow and halting, marked by small acts of labor and strained friendships. When a mining accident traps several workers, he takes a risky, decisive part in the rescue, an act that finally earns him the solidarity of the pit community. The film leans on an early draft by Karel Čapek, which was read in the era as encouraging a class-centered reading of the characters' relations.

První parta was released in 1960, directed by Otakar Vávra with a script credited to František Daniel and an adaptation from a draft by Karel Čapek. The cast includes Eduard Cupák, Gustáv Valach, Jaroslav Vojta, Rudolf Deyl and Jaroslav Rozsíval.

The picture had a modest theatrical life, typical for Czechoslovak dramas of that era, finding most of its audience at home rather than abroad. It wasn't a major commercial export, and distribution remained largely domestic and limited to regional screenings.

Because it draws on Karel Čapek, critics noted its social messaging around class tensions and worker solidarity. Rescue scenes and the collective response are referenced in Czech film histories as realist portrayals of industrial labor and male camaraderie, and they influenced later portrayals of miners, workplace bonds and memory today.

Contemporary reviews were mixed, and modern ratings remain limited, the film holding a 5.0/10 average from a small sample. Commentators note its focus on economic hardship, generational mistrust, interpersonal loyalty and moral courage, presented in a realist style that privileges the daily rhythms and material conditions of mining life today.