The Firemen's Ball - Criterion Collection

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Summary: Fireman's Ball
Review: This movie will take us to a little village in 1960's in the Czechoslovakia. It is a story about ordinary people living very ordinary lives. Every year they go to the Firaman's Ball organized by local fire department, but this year things get little out of control. This movie is very unique for few reasons. There are not too many real actors. The people are actually locals from the village, where the movie was filmed. They act themselves, which gives the movie great authenticity. The story is wonderfull,exposing not too good side of human nature, yet it's very entertaining.I would compare it to the movie American Beauty, taking place fourty years ago. You maight not like everything you see, but at the same time you realize how much naked true the movie is.

Rating:
Summary: Forman's last Czech film and first color film.
Review: This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

The Fireman's Ball, known as "Horí, má panenko" in the Czech language, is a major film of the Czech new wave movement.

The story is about a party a the firehouse that preoccupies the firemen so much that they barely notice the alarm for a nearby fire. The film is intended as a comedy and has some great slapstick humor in it.

The film infuriated the censors in communist Czechoslovakia and was banned "forever" This prompted Forman to move to the US and has since went on to direct "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Amadeus" and some others.

The DVD has an interview with Forman and a special look at the film's transfer by Criterion and remarks by Forman and cinematographer, Miroslav Ondricek.

This film is sure to please.