On the small Czechoslovak railway station Kostomlaty Milos Hrma begins his first ever job. He’s just graduated from railway school and dreams of becoming an adult man and even better a hero. Despite the fact that World War II is underway at a small station nothing is happening, time is running slowly, stationmaster spends most of his time taking care of his pigeons. From time to time Kostomlaty is visited by inspector, the avid German collaborator who instructs the locals that "Czechs are mindless, smiling beasts..." and tries to convince them they will be better off joining the Nazi movement. Hrma is bored with his job, so he concentrates on his own mattera and he falls in love with the female conductor, Maša. He is still a virgin, so he is jealous of the conductor Hubička, who is successful with women. But when Miloš has chance to spend the night with Maša, he experiences a disgraceful fiasco.
The film was based on the short story by Bohumil Hrabal, a well-known Czech writer. This is Jiri Menzel’s feature-length debut. In 1968, the film won an Oscar for best foreign film. Despite many dramatic events, this film is a comedy or at least a grotesque. The film is unusual, a bit surreal, which is further enhanced by the use of black and white film. Most importantly, this film is very original, just as the Czechs were able to make them, without the usual schemes, and in that it is attractive production. Jiri Menzel has also filmed several stories by Hrabal, such as Mr. Balthazar’s Death and others, all with success.
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director | |
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screenplay | |
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screenplay |
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as Milos Hrma | |
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as Hubicka | |
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as Zednicek | |
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as Masa | |
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as Maxim | |
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as Viktoria Freie | |
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as Maxs wife |
