Featured in the book of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, this Czechoslovakian film when I read more about sounded like something that would be interesting to watch, and I remember the distinctive image of the lead character, so I watched hoping for the best. Basically, set during World War II, at the time where Germany were losing to the other countries of the world they were fighting, young Milo Hrma (Václav Neckár) is employed by a small railway station, but his is not being paid. The stationmaster Max (Vladimír Valenta), who enthusiastically breeds pigeons, is jealous that Hubička (Josef Somr) has so much luck with women, and he meanwhile is trying to help Milo lose his virginity, specifically with the woman he has attraction for, conductor Máa (Jitka Bendová). Things are disturbed at the railway station when Zednicek (Vlastimil Brodský) the counsellor and Nazi supporter, but Milo does manage to spend a night with Máa, but it is not a successful, and he tries to commit suicide. Having been saved, a doctor assures him that his premature ejaculation during sexual activity and not is completely normal, and he recommends he should consider losing his virginity to an experienced woman. There is some flirting by Hubička during the night shift with telegraphist Zdenička (Jitka Zelenohorská), and her use the office's rubber stamps to cover her buttocks, and soon after her Mother (Pavla Marsálková) approaches his superiors to complain. Because of this scandal the inspector job is no longer available to the stationmaster, the Germans meanwhile are having their trains blown up and attacked by the occupying army and they are becoming nervous, and the station is threatened by an attack. The bomb is delivered to the station by young artiste/circus performer Victoria Freie (Nada Urbánková), and she is the one requested to help Milo to lose his virginity, and he seems to set kind of booby trap, but in the end, although he is successful in his pursuit for manhood, he dies during the events. Also starring Alois Vachek as Novak the station's assistant and Ferdinand Kruta as Uncle Noneman. Neckár makes an interesting lead character, you can sort of see him as an early version of Jim from American Pie or something, it is certainly not in the teen comedy kind of field with the wanting to lose virginity plot, but it certainly makes for some amusing scenes, and then of course you have the harsh war moments as well, all together creates a worthwhile Second World War comedy drama. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, it was nominated the BAFTAs for Best Film and Best Sound Track, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Foreign-Language Foreign Film. Very good!
Review of Closely Watched Trains
