15/06/2023: Czech Film “The Firemen’s Ball” directed by Miloš Forman
Overview: The Firemen’s Ball (Czech: Hoří, má panenko – “Fire, my lady”) is a 1967 comedy film directed by Miloš Forman. The volunteer fire department in a small town is having a big party when the ex-boss of the department celebrates his 86th birthday. The whole town is invited but things don’t go as planned. Someone is stealing the prizes to the lottery and the candidates for the Miss Fire-Department beauty contest are neither willing nor particularly beautiful.
Trivia:
- In spite of many claims the film was banned in Czechoslovakia by the communists in power at the time, it was not. It actually sold over 750,000 tickets in the country and was shown on state-controlled television in 1969.
- Few professional actors were used for this picture. Many were residents of the small town of Vrchlabi, Czech Republic where the film was shot, including many of the actual volunteer firemen of the town.
“With Loves of a Blonde, it’s the best work Forman’s done, rooted in a social reality that has eluded him in his American projects.” – Chicago Reader
“Miloš Forman’s last Czech film, The Firemen’s Ball, starts as a light-hearted farce. By the time the film reaches its masterful third act, it has become a tragicomedy of tremendous allegorical power.” – Kafkadesk
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