The Czechoslovak New Wave bought very substantial remark in the New Wave Cinema. It took place in the 1960s in Czechoslovakia. Though the period was brief, it made a huge impact by showing the social and reality of society. The genre came to call as social-realist. Most films were mostly banned throughout world cinema, or either got released locally. It had a distinct flavor, delving into the strange and weird while bringing plenty of dark humor to bear on important themes.
Below are some of the most impactful films from the Czechoslovak New Wave.
1. Daisies (1996)
Director- Vera Chytilova
Two teenage girls, both named Marie, decide that because the world is spoilt, they should be as well; as a result, they embark on a series of destructive pranks in which they eat and destroy the environment around them. The government promptly outlawed this wild, madcap female farce.
2. The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962)
Director- Karel Zeman
Tommy, a modern astronaut, compares two worlds: the world of a rococo cavalier whose dream knows no bounds and the world of a contemporary young man. The astronaut meets Baron Münchhausen on the moon, who leads him down to Earth and into a series of exaggerated adventures.
3. Closely Watched Trains (1966)
Director- Jiri Menzel
Milos Hrma, a foolish dispatcher’s apprentice in occupied Czechoslovakia, yearns to be free of his virginity. He embarks on a journey of sexual awakening and self-discovery, meeting a universe of frustration, sensuality, and adventure within his peaceful backwater depot, oblivious to the war and the resistance that surrounds him. Milos gets embroiled in a scheme to blow up a German ammo train, but when it goes wrong, he is compelled to do the ultimate act of bravery.
4. The Cry (1964)
Director- Jaromil Jires
Slávek, a TV mechanic, drives his wife Ivana to the maternity ward. The couple can’t stop thinking about each other from the minute they say their goodbyes. Their shared existence up to this point has unfolded in pieces of memories: their first meeting at the railway bridge, the worries of renting an apartment, the wedding, and furnishing the new flat. They also recall minor squabbles and their initial aversion to having a child. Slávek keeps his meetings with clients and fixes faulty TV sets while Ivana is in the surgery room. He becomes keenly and newly aware of the objects, people, and events around him as he waits for the delivery of a baby.
5. The Firemen’s Ball (1967)
Director- Milos Forman
A ball for the town is held by members of a Czechoslovakian town’s volunteer fire brigade. It includes lotteries for a variety of prizes that are publicly displayed on a table, the prizes being guarded. The “entertainment committee” comes up with the idea of holding a beauty pageant, selecting only eight of the young ladies in attendance to compete. Therefore, they scan the room to make their selections. It holds the ultimate winner of the pageant had the honor of presenting the ax to the former chair. As the evening progresses, one thing after another goes wrong with the ball, with the organizers determined to carry on as planned, even as tragedy strikes outside their four walls.
