Closely Watched Trains (1966)

Closely Watched Trains (Ostre sledovane vlaky)
Directed by Jiri Menzel
Bohumil Hrabal and Jiri Menzel from Hrabal’s novel
1966/Czechoslovakia
Flivome studio Barrandov
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Max: A woman is nature’s finest jewel.[/box]

A totally charming coming-of-age comedy.

The setting is German-occupied WWII Czechoslovakia.  Young Milos Hrma comes from a long line of men who have managed to survive without actually doing any physical work. As such, he is happy to get an apprenticeship as a train dispatcher.  In this capacity, he seems mainly to observe the few trains that pass through his small town station.  His co-workers do very little work either.  Instead, the three men spend all their time chasing after women in some way, shape, or form.

Poor Milos is in love with “nice girl” train conductor Masa.  She wants to take their relationship to the next level but when he tries he cannot perform.  This leads to him to pursue anything in a skirt, no matter how unlikely,  who will allow him to practice for the next time.  The Germans put in an appearance when one of his co-workers gets in trouble after he takes up with the telegraph operator by playing a game of strip poker that ends in hanky-panky with a rubber stamp.

I was smiling throughout the film and broke out into audible chuckles several times.  I find Czech cinema of this period to combine the wry, political, satiric, and tragic in the best possible way.  The performances are memorable.  Recommended.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iHBG1LOmoE

American trailer