Watch Closely Watched Trains For Free

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

best movie i've ever seen.

A Major Disappointment

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Sad, but funny; satirical, but not cynical; "Closely Watched Trains" is among the finest films to come out of the legendary Czech New Wave. Jam packed with roaringly hilarious scenes, this is a frank depiction of sexuality set during WWII, providing slyly comic commentary on both a young man's early confrontation with sex and the chaotic war surrounding him. With a cast of likable and interesting characters, this work is dominated by profound understanding of the protagonist's somewhat awkward encounters with an overly frightening and heavy concept. It will likely be relatable for many (I could certainly identify with the film to an extent), and through this relatability comes all of the comedy a viewer could possibly hope for.This is a brilliant and quick movie that may have moments of juvenile humor and seem like a mainstream flick that happens to be in black and white featuring subtitles, but it is also intelligent, satirical, poignant, profound, insightful, important, and genuinely funny.

1968's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film went to this debut feature from Jiri Menzel, which concerns the comedic and tragic events at a small railway station during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia during the Second World War.Essentially a coming-of-age story, the film focuses on Milos Hrma (Vaclav Neckar), a young man learning the ropes as a station guard. He's surrounded by unwise elders, including an outwardly moralistic stationmaster, as well as a visiting councillor, whose Nazi-endorsing propaganda falls on deaf ears all round. But all Milos wants to do is get his end away with flirty conductor Masa (Jitka Bendova) without falling prey to premature ejaculation.Certainly, like his father, Milos has no intention to actually do any work – until, that is, his sexual frustration is harnessed by a beautiful Resistance agent, who convinces him to blow up a Nazi ammunition train. Perhaps he's influenced by the spirit of his grandfather, a hypnotist who tried and failed to halt the fascist occupation by stopping tanks through the power of suggestion.Considering Menzel was just 28 at the time, his control of the material is remarkable. It's a deliberately tonally-awkward film, juxtaposing broad sex comedy with, amongst other things, a surreal air raid, a properly distressing suicide scene, and brutal gut-punch of an ending.So, the tone is mutable, the style is formal, and the comedy is deadpan – the influence on modern filmmakers like Wes Anderson and Jared Hess is in abundance.For all its whimsy and kinkiness and ironic jabs at moral imperialism (one character wails to his wife about the decline of social morality as he lusts over the dispatcher's saucy cousin), the ultimate message – that youthful lust can be so easily appropriated for the cause of another's ideology – is dead serious. Milos is a mostly passive entity throughout, and his only moments of assertiveness are self-defeating acts of violence.I recently saw Milos Forman's The Firemen's Ball, another risqué comedy from the Czech New Wave. For me, Closely Observed Trains is the pick of the two, thanks largely to the relatable presence of the clueless youth through whom we watch the authoritarian madness unfurl. It's genuinely funny in places, and secretly quite moving.

Hello In the discussion of sex and the young man's preoccupation with his personal life, his attempted suicide and the image of him being saved is often overlooked. The formation of his body as he is carried away from his death is in the shape of Michaelangelo's Pieta. In my mind, at least, this image ties his willingness to ultimately sacrifice his self-absorption for the greater good to that of the Christ.Even his quest for sexual satisfaction is fulfilled by putting his own needs on hold to contribute to the Resistance. A collaborating agent ensures that his needs are fulfilled, perhaps knowing better than he the risk that he will be taking.I suppose that image stuck with me having been raised Christian and also one who embraced art through the ages, but it touched me because it reminded me that we who live ordinary, simple, and seemingly unfulfilled lives may be called upon to do more...and in answering the call, do great and necessary things.

From the opening shot of Jiri Menzel's Closely Observed Trains, the viewer knows what will follow. The story of a young man and his life, not to mention a deeply embarrassing problem that he seems to address to every character, captivates one in its simpleness and whimsy. Every shot is beautifully framed, even that not usually considered so; take, as an example, the attempted suicide of our main character, filmed expertly enough to draw comparison to a credit sequence shot of a pigeon captured in mid flight. The acting, too, is flawless; a fantastic performance from leading man Vaclav Neckar is backed up with a solid, supporting and most importantly realistic cast. Overall, a great film, which should be recommended to film experts and casual viewers alike.