Adam Šangala(1974)

Adam Šangala is a Slovak historical drama set in the 17th century, following a young peasant boy determined to escape his humble origins after his father's execution for poaching. When a brutal encounter with the aristocratic Count Markoč forces Adam to flee, he becomes a fugitive hunted by the count's men. On the road, he meets Betka, a craftsman's daughter from Trnava, and the two fall in love—but their romance is cut short by relentless pursuit. Desperate and cornered, Adam makes a fateful choice: he enlists as a soldier under Count Pálfy, trading one master for another in hopes of survival. The film explores themes of class struggle, ambition, and the impossible choices facing those trapped between poverty and power in early modern Slovakia.