This is a highly acclaimed 60's new wave movie that won the Oscar for best foreign language film. It established the reputation of film director, Jiri Menzel, and is considered to be one of the very best Czech films ever made. However, embracing the possibility that this may ruin my status as a reviewer for ever, I believe its undeserved reputation significantly underestimates Czech cinema.
The film has a dreamlike quality which emphasises the bumbling sexual innocence of the main character, the Railway Despatcher's Apprentice,Milo, and which gives the unexpected dramatic ending real force.However, it is only then that the grim reality of the Nazi dominated world in which the film is set is really acknowledged. Milo is also an apprentice in the important matter of life and on one level this is a coming of age film. However, the visual sexual innuendo now seems very obvious and clichéd. None of its cardboard characters are really developed and Closely Observed Trains seems very much like a slow paced version of a British "Carry On" film. Like them it feels very dated. My partner was so bored she walked out half way through it. If you want to see a really good Czech film check out the short but superb,"Most"
The film has a dreamlike quality which emphasises the bumbling sexual innocence of the main character, the Railway Despatcher's Apprentice,Milo, and which gives the unexpected dramatic ending real force.However, it is only then that the grim reality of the Nazi dominated world in which the film is set is really acknowledged. Milo is also an apprentice in the important matter of life and on one level this is a coming of age film. However, the visual sexual innuendo now seems very obvious and clichéd. None of its cardboard characters are really developed and Closely Observed Trains seems very much like a slow paced version of a British "Carry On" film. Like them it feels very dated. My partner was so bored she walked out half way through it. If you want to see a really good Czech film check out the short but superb,"Most"