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 | Train | Depot | Village | Resistance

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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:

Voted One of the Year's Ten Best Films by the 1967 New York Times Film Critics.

Goofs:

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

Movie Connections:

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

Stamp of Excellence

Closely Watched Trains is a a film to be watched again and again.

It's a coming-of-age type story that delves into the viewers psyche, young Milos who has some troubles with his girlfriend, seems to have this dwell on his life. And the world around him reacts, from the woman riding a horse to steam coming out of the train, the woman working her baking, and simply the movement of young Milos becoming a man in his own sense.

But this film isn't just a sexual innuendo, smart comedy presides through it all which most anyone can pick up on, a lot of it is sexual but not all. Making it a surprisingly upbeat film throughout, a rarity not just in a War film, but Czech cinema in general. This may make it sound a bit too happy but it definitely isn't. It's still a moving piece that demands repetitive watches.

Recommended for anyone with an interest in classic European cinema. If you are going to start watching Czech films, start with Closely Watched Trains.