Ostre sledované vlaky (1966)

Director:

Jirí Menzel

Writers:

Bohumil Hrabal (novel) and
Bohumil Hrabal (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 November 1966 (Czechoslovakia)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Plot:

A young man follows his father's footsteps and joins the railway company, where he learns the job and has his first affair...

Plot Keywords:

German | Czechoslovakia | Train | Apprentice | Resistance

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Václav Neckár	...	Milos Hrma
Josef Somr	...	Hubicka
Vlastimil Brodský	...	Zednicek
Vladimír Valenta	...	Max
Alois Vachek	...	Novak
Ferdinand Kruta	...	Uncle Noneman
Jitka Scoffin	...	Masa (as Jitka Bendová)
Jitka Zelenohorská	...	Zdenka
Nada Urbánková	...	Victoria Freie
Libuse Havelková	...	Max's wife
Kveta Fialová	...	The countess
Pavla Marsálková	...	Mother
Milada Jezková	...	Zdenka's mother
Zuzana Minichova
Václav Fiser	...	Plasterer (as V. Fiser)

Also Known As:

Closely Observed Trains (UK)
Closely Watched Trains (USA)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Czechoslovakia

Language:

Czech | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

South Korea:15 | UK:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Lodenice, Czech Republic

Company:

Filmové Studio Barrandov

Trivia:

In the opening sequence, the "German" tank shown during the anecdote about Janos' grandfather is a Soviet SU-152 "tank killer" of WWII vintage.

Goofs:

Continuity: The blanket covering the stamped girl changes between shots.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Get Smart: Closely Watched Planes (#4.3)" (1968)

Highly over rated Czech New Wave 60's comedy noir

This is a highly acclaimed 60's new wave movie that won the Oscar for best foreign language film. It established the reputation of film director, Jiri Menzel, and is considered to be one of the very best Czech films ever made. However, embracing the possibility that this may ruin my status as a reviewer for ever, I believe its undeserved reputation significantly underestimates Czech cinema.

The film has a dreamlike quality which emphasises the bumbling sexual innocence of the main character, the Railway Despatcher's Apprentice,Milo, and which gives the unexpected dramatic ending real force.However, it is only then that the grim reality of the Nazi dominated world in which the film is set is really acknowledged. Milo is also an apprentice in the important matter of life and on one level this is a coming of age film. However, the visual sexual innuendo now seems very obvious and clichéd. None of its cardboard characters are really developed and Closely Observed Trains seems very much like a slow paced version of a British "Carry On" film. Like them it feels very dated. My partner was so bored she walked out half way through it. If you want to see a really good Czech film check out the short but superb,"Most"