Closely Watched Trains.

Review #1424: Closely Watched Trains.

Cast: 
Václav Neckář (Miloš Hrma), Vlastimil Brodský (Councilor Zedníček), Jitka Bendová (Conductor Máša), Josef Somr (Train Dispatcher Hubička), Libuše Havelková (Stationmaster's wife), Vladimír Valenta (Stationmaster), Jitka Zelenohorská (Telegraphist Zdenička), Naďa Urbánková (Viktoria Freie), and Jiří Menzel (Doctor Brabec) Directed by Jiří Menzel.

Review: 
“In my opinion, the true poetry of this movie, if it has any, lies not in the absurd situation themselves, but in their juxtaposition with obscenity and tragedy”

A coming of age tale can come in all kinds of forms, no matter what decade or country it is. There is plenty of space for cinema to show something about the absurdities that life can bring to our doorstep that can be played for both laughs and tension, which proves to be the case here. Closely Watched Trains [Ostře sledované vlaky] was adapted from Bohumil Hrabal's 1965 novel of the same name, with the author working closely with Menzel on the screenplay. It is generally referred to be part of the Czechoslovak New Wave, a film movement that started in 1963 that played to pushing the envelope in content that was in previous years reined in heavily by Czechoslovakia state censors, having absurdity and surrealism over the more typical social realist fare. Most of the directors associated with this movement were students (comprised of mostly Czech directors, although Slovak Štefan Uher is generally included as part of the movement) who had attended the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, such as Milos Forman, Vera Chytilová, Jaromil Jires, and Menzel, who made his feature film debut here after a string of student films, documentaries, and segments. The Prague Spring (done by the Soviets to reinforce their grip on the country as a Communist state) led to a swift end of the movement by 1968 (with directors either emigrating out of the country or blacklisted), but the impact from these films have managed to reach to audiences today, with this winning an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film (the second of three Czech films to win one, the first being The Shop on Main Street in 1965).

This is a film that approaches its serious subject of trying to become an adult in the face of growing pains (while set in the latter stages of World War II) with honesty and a touch of humor that makes for a charming little movie of innocence. It doesn't aim for anything too obvious that one might see with a different approach that could've emphasized the story more or (if made in a further decade) added raunchier elements to it. The film is well-paced at 92 minutes, moving with its quirky characters with leisure and stark cinematography from Jaromír Šofr to capture the simple countryside. Neckář pulls in a capable performance to follow along with, growing with the film with conviction and consistency for a lead type different from the usual aspiring hero (with him seeming to fit the type in the saying that the meek shall inherit the Earth). Zedníček proves a interesting contrast to the usual carefree atmosphere with blustery attempts at guile that amuse in contrast to the others (after all, he only thinks of them as laughing hyenas, a statement that was actually used by a Nazi official). Bendova proves fairly charming despite not having as much to do on screen as the others. Somr does quite well with playfulness and cunning that works well with Neckar in driving curiosity for the measure of a man in the eyes of someone wanting to become one. The rest of the cast do well with subtlety, contributing the gradual build-up of the plot and enveloping moments of amusement with care and restraint. By the time the film moves to its swift ending, one feels satisfied with its subtlety in its balance of drama and comedy that is never too broad on either genre that reaches entertainment with a frank look upon life and what it means to become an adult with ensuing expectations and problems that come with it, which can reach anyone regardless of the decade or country. 

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.