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)
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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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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A brilliant comedy that is more chilling than funny. Under the commies, every critical film was said to hold up a mirror, and that is very accurate for this film. The fire brigades protested, but it's not about them at all, this film has a much deeper message. The scene with the old man at his burning house is one of the saddest I've ever seen.
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A portrait of Czech (at its core apparently international) smallness, fitted on a small canvas of a Firemen's ball. Excellent acting performances, convincing atmosphere, humor that makes you laugh, but then you get surprised by the strange chill... The final dialogue about those who steal and those who do not steal should be shown as the equivalent of the national anthem of the Czech Republic. Forman used the same means as in A Blonde in Love, Ondříček’s excellent documentary camera, a brass band background, and dialogues as if randomly watched in medias res. The gags are even sharper and more refined than in the previous film, some of which make one laugh, whilst others make your smile freeze. As Vladislav Vančura used to say: humor is not laughing, but rather knowing better. And after watching The Firemen's Ball, the viewer truly knows better and it is not joyful at all. Unfortunately, the film does not lose its topicality. On the contrary.
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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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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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