Zert (The Joke) - Benjamin Hilton

Title/Year: The Joke, 1969
Director/Birth Country/Year Born:  Jaromil Jires, Czechoslovakia, 1935
Budget: N/A
Gross: N/A
Synopsis: A man seeks revenge on a former college friend who got him expelled from the Communist Party and the University he was attending.
Narrative and Visual Keywords: Revenge, Communist party, affair, Czech, military, mines, university, wife, flashbacks, expulsion, girl friend, revolution, death
Characterization/ Dialogue: Ludvik, an ex-Communist member, begins a plan to exact revenge on a former friend who ruined his life. As the plan unfolds he has reoccurring flashbacks of the moments in his life that made him what he is today.
Camera/lighting/editing technique:
Political/ Social Commentary: This film was banned in Czechoslovakia because of it promoted anti-communist behavior.  The characters displayed feelings of self indulgence, and not thoughts of the country/party. 
Historical Relevance/ Recognition: This film was banned in Czechoslovakia.
Notable Collaboration: None
Random fact, Etc.: Its aspect ratio is 1.37:1.

1.  In Zert (The Joke) Alexei displays a positive opinion on work ethic, but it doesn’t end well for him.  Alexei works hard everyday in the mines and military.  Despite his hard work, and dedication to the communist party, he eventually commits suicide when his dedication is taken as treasonous. 

2.  The only elements of the film that seemed to be surreal were the flashbacks.  Though they were completely real and to the story, they had a sense of surreal-ness to them.

3.  Though we continue to see instances in the flashbacks where he has no control in his life, the main character seems to finally be in control in the current time.  The movie is heavy on the idea of individualism.  One instance that shows this is when Alexei, the ideal communist, commits suicide.  This metaphorically says that following the communist party eventually leads to death.