The Firemen's Ball

Unrated

9/29/19681h 13m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ A colorful comedy, in which people dance, steal and extinguish the fire. ~

Overview:

The firemen of a provincial Czechoslovakian town throw a ball in honor of the old chief's retirement. There will be music and dancing, a beauty pageant and a raffle. The whole town will be in attendance. However, the proceedings are dogged by difficulty at every step. Workplace injuries, stolen prizes, a shortage of pretty girls... and fire.

Director:

Miloš Forman

Status:

Released

Language:

Czech

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

small town
dark comedy
czechoslovakia
political satire
czech new wave
communist era
joyful

Cast

Jan Vostrčil

~ as ~

Head of Committee

Josef Šebánek

~ as ~

Committee Member

František Debelka

~ as ~

Committee Member

Josef Valnoha

~ as ~

Committee Member

Ladislav Adam

~ as ~

Committee Member

Vratislav Čermák

~ as ~

Committee Member

Václav Novotný

~ as ~

Committee Member

František Paska

~ as ~

Committee Member

František Reinstein

~ as ~

Committee Member

Josef Řehořek

~ as ~

Committee Member

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

deepkino
Written 2 month(s) ago
7
Miloš Forman's final film in the Czech language is a pure critique of bureaucracy. Set entirely at a banquet honoring a dying, 86-year-old former fire chief, it masterfully depicts the event's descent into fiasco. The film exposes the decay of Czechoslovak society and its so-called socialism, making the audience smile and even laugh, all without ever compromising its sharp comedic edge. It is a rare work that brilliantly critiques authority through humor.