"Closely Watched Trains" -Mychael Foster

Title/Year: “Closely Watched Trains”, 1966

Director/Birth Country/Year Born: Jiri Menzel, Prague, 1938

Budget:  N/A

Gross: N/A

Synopsis: A young man starts work as a train conductor at the local train station, trying to live out the family legacy of not doing much in this world to get by (the un-communist way). He makes friends, falls for a girl, attempts suicide and helps stop the Nazi’s. It’s a weird “coming of age” story.

Narrative and Visual Keywords: Black and White, Czech new-wave, farm, pre-ejaculation, shame, nazi’s, quiet, eyes.

Characterization/Dialogue: Milos Hrma (Vaclav Neckar) is a timid virgin who because of fellow co-workers thinks he is not man-enough which causes psychological problems. Most of the movie is visual with Milos narrating.

Camera/Lighting/Editing Technique: Always in black and white, you have lot of contrast with lighting. The editing was pretty standard and so was the camera.

Political/Social Commentary: this movie shows a main character that is lazy and “un-manly” and not patriotic: all the things opposite of what communism stands for.

Historical Relevance/Recognition: Has one numerous film awards and is known as one of the top Czech New-Wave films of our time.

Notable Collaboration: N/A

Random Fact, Etc: Jiri Menzel, the director, played doctor Brabec who treated Milos after his attempted suicide.

What are the characters’ attitudes toward work/ What is their work ethic like?

Milos’ goal is to be able to make a living and get through life without really having to work. For him it’s not really about the work but making his family name proud. He doesn’t aim high, he’s not trying to get a bigger position, he likes where he is now.

Were you able to distinguish the use of symbols/ what story elements seemed surreal?

He wore his conductor hat most of the film, even when attempting sex. Also there is this couch in the station that every time someone does something not P.C., it gets torn by someone on the couch. Now im not really sure what these symbols mean, if they are even symbols. This movie had me “reaching” for answers. Couch ripping could mean the “divide” of Czechoslovakia? I’m just not sure.

Does the main character seem in control of his own destiny? In relation to the individual vs. the communist perspective? Does the Character have a viewpoint concerning the divine or God?

Milos seems so be driven by everyone around him, it seems like he is a puppet in this world. His mother dresses him, he’s told how to work, he’s told what it means to be a man. Milos himself is so shy and timid you wouldn’t think him to get into the situations he gets into, but because of everyone around him he gets thrown about like some rag doll. His view on what it means to be Czech person is not the ideals of communism. I don’t think there was much viewpoint on religion in this, it was more about what it means to be a communist.