Man on a Tightrope

A determined circus owner fighting to keep Cirkus Černík alive after nationalization. He challenges the regime's mandated propaganda acts and navigates hunger for artistic integrity with practical risk. He masterminds an escape plan across the border, paying a high personal price.

The circus’s younger wife, cautious yet resourceful in a climate of suspicion. She endures scrutiny and personal danger while supporting the troupe, ultimately taking charge after Černík’s death. Her loyalty is tested by love, duty, and the regime’s pressure.

A young roustabout with a budding romance with Tereza. He carries a secret past as a deserter from the American Army, which complicates his place in the escape plan and trust within the troupe. He plays a central role in the attempted cross-border flight.

Karel’s willful daughter who balances family duty with personal desires. She becomes entangled in Joe’s romance and the escape plot, torn between affection and loyalty to the circus. Her choices reflect a younger generation navigating political peril.

A propaganda minister who embodies state control, pressing for Marxist performances and punishing nonconformity. He demands compliance, probes for spies, and uses bureaucracy to apply pressure. He is ultimately sidelined as the system shifts against him.

A longtime trusted worker who is revealed as the state spy within Černík’s circle. His betrayal triggers a tense manhunt, and his actions escalate the danger as the escape plan unfolds. He is killed in the border confrontation, sabotaging the plan.

Černík’s rival on the circus circuit, who visits and promises not to betray him. He offers a pragmatic, wartime camaraderie across the divide, supporting Černík’s risky plan in a time of fear. His loyalty shows a bridging of rivalries in the shared world of circuses.

The SNB chief who orders Černík to perform propaganda acts and controls the investigation. He represents the cold, procedural side of a surveillance state. His interactions with Černík set the tone for the government’s coercive environment.