Closely Watched Trains

A film I appreciate and respect, but which fails to enthrall me. There's plenty to praise - the understated B&W cinematography, the subtle political themes, the way it parallels Miko's sexual maturation with the war, the restrained humor - but for whatever reason, I never felt entirely taken in. There are some odd tonal shifts as Menzel tries to balance rather morose moments with the film's lighter comedic scenes, and it was occasionally jarring. Still, enjoyable.

Very good, but missing that essential last line from the book - "You should have stayed home and sat on your arse."

Very good Czech New Wave film about a young apprentice train dispatcher and his initiation to adulthood during German occupation. The comic moments are all delightful, and the political overtones are potent without being too heavy.

An enjoyable little film with a strange melancholy tone. There are some nice shots and amusing dark comedy, though it doesn't all completely gel together.

Menzel and Hrabal are certainly birds (or pigeons, as it were) of a feather, both mastering the balance of quiet absurdity in the face of both personal and political turmoil.

Closely Watched Trains has a lot in common, thematically, with Milos Forman's work, but Menzel lets his bitterness out more, and where Forman would balance lightness with darkness, Menzel allows the darkness supremacy by the end. Hey, I'm sure that's exactly how he felt. But it leaves his work (as beautiful as it is) more interesting as a historical piece, the potential universality of it subjugated by the hopelessness borne of its environment.

What a fascinating film, on the surface a comic coming of age story, just beneath a story of a country powerless to deal with and/or complicit in the profound injustices going on all around them.

This film gets people right.

Pretty decent movie, very cinematic, but by no means the best of the Czech New Wave. It's about sex, mostly. Not all of its humor got to me, for various reasons, but what I liked especially (although it wasn't the central theme of the film) was the pronounced attention to the female libido.

Probably Jiri Menzel's most famous film, and one which embodies many of his usual virtues. A good quiet film that's somehow never dull

A somewhat inscrutable, but endearing central character ties together scenes from the fringes of Hitler's war. Shows the absurdity of being in society—both provincial and world-historical.

wes anderson meets judd apatow in nazi-occupied czechoslovakia. surprisingly immature

This kid got cockblocked by Hitler

During the Second World War, an inexperienced, simple young man intends to follow in the footsteps of his family by embarking on a career involving minimal effort, then wrestles with difficulties in entering the world of adult sexuality, the conquering of which causes him to momentarily forget the virtues he has inherited from his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. A warm, wry and ultimately poignant movie about the problems of survival and existence in the midst of a terrible situation.

There's a lot of good stuff here, though the comedy didn't work all that well for me. The coming of age aspects were a bit more interesting, but it never really totally gripped me despite the fact that it's very well made.

Weird yet sweet and totally original story of an antihero's sexual coming of age set against the backdrop of World War II. Takes a while to get going, but eventually rewards your patience.

Em honra de Jirí Menzel (1938 - 2020). Me parece um exemplar meio superestimado da Nová Vlna, quer dizer, é um bom filme, mas se comparado com outros cineastas da nova onda com grandes obras no período como Herz, Forman, Nemec, Passer ou Chytilová, esse aqui fica bem aquém do esperado. Box Versátil Nouvelle Vague Tcheca.

Middle sags a bit, but that ending is dynamite.

The film doesn't seem to handle its transitions from black comedy to something more serious too well. The first part of the film seems like something entirely else, but maybe that's the point.

Arguably for people under dictatorships any kind of maturity should lead to political maturity. But I can’t deny that this message is force-fed to us, as Station commissioner’s wife does to that goose. Poor Miloš had to be the victim of such ideology.

This film grabbed me. The little looks and lingering shots, moments of sadness and happiness and humour meshed together. I loved it. That's all I can say.

Denne var utrolig morsom i hvordan livet i Tjekkia under krigen blir fremstilt. Ja, det er krig og ting er kjipt, men den unge hovedpersonens største problem er at han ikke presterer i senga. Minner litt om Wes Anderson i hvordan skuespillerne ser ut til å spille rollene med en god distanse til seg selv, noe som ofte fører til rare situasjoner der merkelige ting blir møtt med helt ordinære reaksjoner. Bra funn i Seriøs filmklubb!

89.000

tren, tren istasyonu, istasyon çalisanlari (sef, kondüktör, hareket amiri), ergen, yeni memur, cinsellik, erken bosalma, intihar, fotografci (uçakla poz), ahlaksiz ahlakli (sef), deneyim için olgunkadin aramak, çekoslavakya, almanlari ikinci dünya savasi, treni havaya ucurmak, illüzyonistin orduyu durdurmaya calismasi

Great. Basically Porky's for the Czech New Wave, arthouse crowd. Really funny throughout, with some inventive sequences (love the stamp scene and the glee that ensues as a result) and good performances.

89.625

Humor in the Eastern Bloc. And it mostly works.

#358

Funny and disturbing.

The power women hold over men, and the crazy, silly, sometimes tragic things they make us do. I couldn't care less about the political overtones. An easy-going watch, even if I didn't fall in love with it.

Didn't enthrall me, but was still a lot of fun. The telegraphist's little smile while everyone around her is admonishing her was hilarious.

Gentle, touching film. Made during a period of increasing artistic freedom in Czechoslovakia, this shows how the decent instincts in people can survive during difficult times.

There were so many amazing, crucial points in the book that this movie either skipped or put in the movie at the wrong time. It was a fine movie, but the book was much better.

Menzel is infallible

356

This film reflects what was unique about Czech New Wave, exploration of serious things that never takes itself too seriously.

Didn't fully appreciate this. It's humorous to be sure, and a few of the scenes are great (and some oddly arousing - I speak here of a certain stamp-related scene), but it just never comes together into anything. It's alright, but.. Drags on a bit, and I don't really see what it's trying to do.

351

huh

Deviously funny and beautifully photographed, but too fast-moving and almost simplistic in outlook. Menzel disguise his tragedy as a low-voiced comedy, but - despite the film's unique spirit - it fails to establish genuine empathy or evoke substantial meditation. A bore.

Back in the days when the Oscars were still given for quality, this was bound to get one.

# 377

Charming.