Cerny Petr (Black Sheep; Black Peter)
Directed by Milos Forman
Written by Milos Forman and Jaroslav Papousek
1964/Czechoslovakia
Filmove studio Barrandov
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] I know this sounds so little, and not serious enough, but I believe that I have to have fun. We all have to have fun – me, the actors, the cameraman, everybody should feel as if we are making a home movie, because that is the only way to open the film to a certain kind of lightness. If everybody involved feels the seriousness, the heavy weight of money being stamped on movies, it somehow influences the result in a way which is anesthizing to life. – Milos Forman[/box]
Milos Forman’s first film is an enjoyably wry coming of age comedy.
Petr is just starting out in the world with his first job after graduating high school. He proves to be a hugely inept floorwalker at a grocery store. In his off-hours, he struggles with dating and his hectoring father.
Forman’s talent is obvious right out the gate. It helps that we seem to share a similar sense of humor. This is a a slice-of-life character study with a negligible plot but the teenagers keep things constantly lively. They should be instantly relatable to anyone who has had growing pains.
