Dominated by Nazi Germany in the time of the story, and dominated by the Soviet Union when it was written, there is a resigned cynicism in these Czech characters, but one that feels aloof and lighthearted from the madness of the world around them. The young man wants to get a job at the train station so that he can work as little as possible, in the time-honored tradition of his father and grandfathers, and is more interested in getting laid than in the Nazi occupation or the war. The entire town knows it and doesn't care, which says something about the national psyche that dates back to The Good Soldier Svejk, and maybe earlier. The older guy he works with is a lady's man who's got just one thing on his mind as well.
The extent of this philandering is such that it took away a little bit from my enjoyment of the film, despite the wonderful black and white shots in the railroad station that director Jiri Menzel gives us, the little bits of comedy, and the beauty of Jitka Zelenohorska, who gets her backside stamped all over in one of the film's more famous sequences. Maybe it's honest in showing a lack of interest in politics and these guys simply looking out for themselves, but for me, the serious turn the plot takes, leading to what was a great ending, just came a little bit late to truly love the film. I've only read a couple of Hrabal's books, 'Too Loud a Solitude' and 'I Served the King of England,' and I found I had a similar reaction. Some really great parts, the window into Czechoslovakia's zeitgeist in the 60's/70's, and some lighthearted humor ... but sometimes meandering, and usually pretty immature when it comes to the sex bits, which he sprinkles in regularly.
The extent of this philandering is such that it took away a little bit from my enjoyment of the film, despite the wonderful black and white shots in the railroad station that director Jiri Menzel gives us, the little bits of comedy, and the beauty of Jitka Zelenohorska, who gets her backside stamped all over in one of the film's more famous sequences. Maybe it's honest in showing a lack of interest in politics and these guys simply looking out for themselves, but for me, the serious turn the plot takes, leading to what was a great ending, just came a little bit late to truly love the film. I've only read a couple of Hrabal's books, 'Too Loud a Solitude' and 'I Served the King of England,' and I found I had a similar reaction. Some really great parts, the window into Czechoslovakia's zeitgeist in the 60's/70's, and some lighthearted humor ... but sometimes meandering, and usually pretty immature when it comes to the sex bits, which he sprinkles in regularly.