Summary
In the murky, nascent dawn of the modern age, Karel Lamac and Jan S. Kolár's 'Otrávené svetlo' plunges into the moral quagmire surrounding scientific idealism and capitalist avarice. We follow Jan Tichý, a brilliant but socially sequestered physicist, portrayed with poignant naiveté by Antonín Marek, as he unveils a phosphorescent marvel—a perpetually glowing, ethereal light source. This invention, intended as a beacon of universal hope, swiftly becomes a pawn in the ruthless game of Baron Kámen (Josef Blazek), an industrialist whose vision extends no further than boundless profit. Kámen orchestrates a sinister ballet of manipulation, deploying the captivating socialite, Helena (Anny Ondra), to ensnare the guileless Tichý and commandeer his groundbreaking creation. Helena, initially a mere instrument in Kámen's scheme, finds her calculated detachment eroding as she witnesses Tichý's profound idealism and the insidious corruption of his noble aspirations. The film's titular 'poisoned light,' a luminous beauty, gradually reveals its malevolent core: prolonged exposure inflicts psychological distress and hallucinatory episodes, a chilling parallel to the moral decay it precipitates in its wake. Tichý, awakened from his scientific reverie, unearths the light's inherent toxicity and the Baron's perfidious machinations, culminating in a dramatic denouement. This confrontation forces a tragic reckoning, illuminating the devastating potential when unbridled ambition eclipses ethical considerations and deceptive beauty masks destructive forces, leaving an indelible stain on the promise of progress.
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