I Served the King of England

Jan Dítě is released from a Czech prison, a mere three months shy of completing his 15-year sentence, and finds himself settling in a small town near the border of Czechoslovakia and Germany. With time on his hands, he begins to revive an abandoned house, all while reflecting on his past and revealing his primary aspiration: to become a millionaire. His journey kicks off as a frankfurter vendor at a bustling railroad station, where he quickly grasps the significance of money and its ability to sway people.

As Jan reminisces about his life, a young woman named Marcela arrives in the area with her older companion, a professor. A flicker of attraction sparks between Jan and Marcela, although their connection remains largely unfulfilled. The narrative toggles between Jan’s past and present, shedding light on the blossoming relationship with his new neighbors.

In a dynamic restaurant setting, Jan engages in a series of brief affairs with various women, including an actress and a prostitute at a local brothel. As his career progresses, he secures increasingly prestigious roles, including a position at the Hotel Tichota, where he involves himself romantically with a maid. His journey ultimately leads him to Prague’s Hotel Paříž, where he falls under the wing of the enigmatic Maître d’, Skřivánek, who boasts of serving the King of England. In a twist of fate, Jan finds himself serving the Emperor of Ethiopia, who tries to honor Skřivánek with a medal but struggles to reach his neck due to height issues. Quick on his feet, Jan manages to receive the award in Skřivánek’s stead, further showcasing his opportunistic nature.

As the Third Reich annexes Czechoslovakia, Jan becomes captivated by Liza, a young Sudeten German woman fervently devoted to Adolf Hitler. Liza agrees to marry him, but only if he can prove his Aryan lineage through a medical examination. Amidst the tumult of occupation, Jan’s colleagues, including the hotel manager Brandejs, express their disdain for the German oppressors through passive resistance, making the service as unhelpful as possible. Jan, however, remains compliant and is consequently dismissed, facing a ban from any further employment in Prague’s hospitality industry. When Jan and Liza patronize the hotel later, and Jan comments that serving the King of England has been of no benefit to him, Skřivánek reacts by pouring food over Jan in a final act of defiance. Soon after, the authorities take Skřivánek away, leaving an ominous void in Jan’s life.

During World War II, Jan finds work at an institute that was once the Hotel Tichota, now repurposed as a breeding ground for a so-called “master race.” This establishment is run by Mr. Tichota, who, now in a wheelchair, has been ousted from his ownership. Meanwhile, Liza has taken on the role of a nurse at the Russian front, returning home with invaluable stamps plundered from Polish-Jewish households. However, as the war drags on and fortunes shift, the facility is compromised, forcing the women out and replacing them with injured soldiers. Near the conflict’s end, a tragic attack forces an evacuation, and in a desperate attempt to save the precious stamps, Liza meets a heartbreaking fate as the building collapses around her. Jan discovers her lifeless body, clutching the box of stamps, and pries it from her grasp. These stamps eventually pave his path to becoming a wealthy hotelier in that very location.

Following the Communist takeover in 1948, Jan’s fortunes plummet. He unwittingly reveals his wealth to the Communist resistance and is sentenced to a staggering 15 years in prison—one year for each of his purported millions. Inside, he comes across Brandejs and other former elites, all reduced to prisoners like himself. Despite his attempts to reconnect, he finds himself cast out from their circle.

As Marcela and the professor depart from the area, Jan manages to finish restoring his home, finally releasing the stamps by letting the winds carry them into the valley, closing a tumultuous chapter of his life.