Directed by:
Miloš FormanCinematography:
Miroslav OndříčekComposer:
Karel MarešCast:
Jan Vostrčil, Josef Šebánek, Ladislav Adam, Vratislav Čermák, František Debelka, Václav Novotný, František Paska, František Reinstein, Josef Řehořek (more)VOD (1)
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It's the annual firemen's ball in a small Czech town, and the organisers decide to liven up the usually dull event with a raffle and a beauty contest. But with the former plagued by thievery and the latter by bribery, the event rapidly descends into farce – and that's before a fire breaks out... (Arrow Films)
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Reviews (8)
The best film by Miloš Forman, among those he created before leaving for America. At the same time, it is a sophisticated and disturbingly effective sarcastic allegory of real communism in the Czech environment. Filled with biting lines, humorous situations, excellent acting, and smart filmmaking that helped Forman make a name for himself internationally. "Move his bed closer to the fire so he can warm up." Despite the undeniable cruelty of many scenes, I really love this film. The foreign producer was once desperate about the selection of girls for the beauty queen contest, but evidently did not understand that the director was aiming for something entirely different. Overall impression: 95%.
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Miloš Forman applied his excellent observational talent through a reflective portrayal of the contemporary political atmosphere. The final fire brigade meeting on the topic of "those who stole are doing well" is the best evidence of that. An unrestrained satirical view of typical Czech pettiness that blindly aspires to high goals – the beauty pageant, and then skillfully combined with folk humor – the quarrel of old spouses over who will watch the tombola. At first glance, it may seem naively simple, but at its core, it is profoundly intelligent and incredibly truthful to the extent that the safe was absolutely "justified" in its time.
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A tragicomic film where I feel more emphasis on the tragedy because even though the movie is quite relaxed, I see too much of how people behave and how these caricatures in Forman's film are real. Pretense, greed, disrespect, and mediocrity - all covered up by the fact that you have some, essentially any, title.
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It's actually a sad movie about how stupid and hypocritical people are. I have to say, except for a few scenes, I wasn't amused, more like I wanted to cry when I saw it. The fact that there are non-actors, the dialogue is life-like, and the director is Milos Forman did nothing for me. If you hate people for a while after watching it, I hope you won't be surprised.
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A well deserved great cult-classic, whose humour will be relevant for a long time thanks to the perfectly cast non-actors. The scene with the selection of the beauty queen in particular is simply flawless, especially the expression of Šebánek and co. after the arrival of all the girls' "jewels". Miloš Forman had it in the bag from the beginning of his career, he knew what to expect from a film and what to do about it, and this funny and nostalgic movie is a clear proof of that.
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Gallery (21)
Photo © Filmové studio Barrandov / Jaromír Komárek
![The Firemen's Ball - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/167/435/167435466_djd9yt.jpg)
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