THE FIREMAN'S BALL
Czechoslovakia, 1967, 73 minutes, Colour.
Vaclav Stockel, Josef Svet, Jan Vostroil, Josef Kolb, Frantisek Debelkaf, Josef Sebanek.
Directed by Milos Forman.

The Fireman's Ball is a very interesting Czech film from the Czech film-making days of Milos Forman. Prominent in the 60s in his native land, he made a number of very enjoyable comedies which poked wry fun at his compatriots. With a great attention to detail and with very ordinary types in the cast, he showed great insight into the way of life in Czechoslovakia. Moving to America in the late 60s he made Taking Off a very enjoyable satire on the drug culture and went on to fame with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Hair. The Fireman's Ball with its comedy and satire is one of his best Czech films.

1. The interest in the Czech film, the qualities of enjoyment?

2. The film seen in the light of the director's later successes? The particular style of the director in presenting places, situations characters, especially in close-up and profile?

3. Audience response to the Czech situations: the characters, the type of people, the politics?

4. How could the film be seen as a fable of totalitarian bureaucracy? The realism of the story, the characters? The relationship of allegory and realism? How successfully brought off was this?

5. Although the film was particularly Czech, how much did it have of the universal message about human nature? The comedy touch, the highlighting of human foibles, their humorous side and their stupid side? The strengths and weaknesses of human nature of individuals and of groups?

6. The Ball as a symbol for this kind of united effort? The details of the preparation, the committees, the use of the occasion for the presentation etc.? The humour of making something big out of ordinary situations? The way that the firemen responded to the situation, inflating their own importance, all having their say, the nature of the squabbles, the details that each attended to? The comment on the interaction of minor bureaucracies? The effectiveness of the satire and the points being nude?

8. The humour and pathos of the old fire chief? His illness, his great age, the presentation and his speech? His continually coming up at the wrong time? The eventual presentation and the speech?

9. The comment on human nature in the amount of stealing? The stupidity and pettiness? The revelation of the truth, especially with Josef stealing the cheese and returning it?

10. How much humour on modern situations and competition was there in the 'Miss Fireman' competition? The interviews and the auditions, the sexuality of young girls and old men? The ordinariness of the girls and their appearance and style, their mothers egging them on? The humour of the details of the competition and parade, the people's reactions, the award?

11. How successful a way of showing people in close-up and in detail, the humour of ordinariness?

12. The importance of the fire, the recourse to the firemen, their methods of putting out the fire, the old man rescued and faced away from the fire, then turned round to warm him? The people continuing the celebrations at the fire? The point being made in this?

13. The resolution of the whole film? The morning after?

14. The purpose of making this film: sheer entertainment, feeling for people, insight into human behaviour, political overtones?