Ostre Sledované Vlaky (1966)
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Duration: 92 minuten
Alternative titles: Closely Watched Trains / Hou de Trein in het Oog / Closely Observed Trains
Country:
Czechoslovakia
Directed by: Jirí Menzel
Stars: Václav Neckář, Josef Somr and Vlastimil Brodský
IMDb score:
7,6 (14.927)
Releasedate: 18 November 1966
Ostre Sledované Vlaky plot
"All it takes to make a man of a boy is a woman."
Trainee station master Milos wants to become more adept at making love and so a number of amorous entanglements arise in the drab village station where nothing really happens. All this takes place during the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Germans, a situation to which Milos cannot close his eyes. He becomes involved in a plan to blow up a German ammunition train. When this plan fails, he is forced to perform a brave act.
Actors and actresses
Trainee Milos Hrma
Conducteress Masa
Stationmaster Max
Max's wife
Train dispatcher Hubicka
Novak
Zdenka
Counselor Zednicek
Masa's Uncle Noneman
The countess
Reviews & comments
Sir Djuke
-
- 374 messages
- 1037 votes
A comedy set during World War II is always a delicate matter. However, the Czech director Jiri Menzel manages to bring it to a successful conclusion with his debut film 'Ostre Sledovane Vlaky' by using the war (and its bureaucratic consequences) only as a backdrop and by concentrating on the pre-occupation and search for sex of the young protagonist Milos (played by pop star Vaclav Neckar). The result is a sparkling, slightly mischievous feel-good movie that (really) happily ends with the death of Milos.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Movsin
-
- 8286 messages
- 8442 votes
One of those Czechoslovak films from that period that charmed with its typical humour, but often contained a threat or social abuse or drama. This Jiri Menzel film is a striking example of this, this time with the war as a nasty background.
Funny to see, our Milos as a proud and serious, but love-hungry, station official, his colleague "ancien" and old-timer, his station master ludicrous, scab, incompetent and underhanded, the "willing" typist ... all this in a stationneke of nothing (there is another older workman and another helper....) with a money-wasting luxury of staff.
However, there is the threat of the occupier or is it rather the government collaborating with the occupier and the fact that even the poor stationneke comes under pressure and the gullible and obedient naivete Milos is costing dearly. An unjust touch as a conclusion to a film that usually used the pleasant note and could charm. They all did witty acting too, I thought.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Woland
-
- 4810 messages
- 3826 votes
Closely watched trains grabbed me right from the start, with an introduction to Milos and his descent from a proud family of work-avoiding idlers. Grandpa who is not only proud of his disability benefits, but fills his day with rubbing the nose of people who do have to work, that kind of work. In my opinion, typical Czech humor about the underdog of the Svejk type, or about the clumsy village characters in contemporaries such as Milos Forman's The Firemen's Ball.
The film is otherwise quite entertaining, but is a bit less interesting in the rest of the film. Milos spends his time at his job at the train station, where little work is done by the few slackers who work there, including his womanizing colleague Hubicka. The days are filled with mainly Milos trying to get success with the ladies (and especially the beautiful Masa), not always successful of course, and later in the film also some complications regarding resistance against the Germans. In the end quite fun and also with a few tragic notes, but the passivity of Milos and the very dry humor and atmosphere let the film drag a bit in the middle. Not the topper I was hoping for in the beginning, but it is still more than enough with ease.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Trending Movies
Corporate & Media
Realtimes Network
Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31(315)-764002
