The Firemen's Ball
The firemen of a provincial Czechoslovakian town throw a ball in honor of the old chief's retirement. There will be music and dancing, a beauty pageant and a raffle. The whole town will be in attendance. However, the proceedings are dogged by difficulty at every step. Workplace injuries, stolen prizes, a shortage of pretty girls... and fire.
Director(s)
Miloš Forman
Jaroslav Papoušek
Marie Beránková
Cast & crew
Milada Ježková
Josef's Wife
Miloš Forman
-
Jan Vostrčil
Head of Committee
Josef Šebánek
Committee Member
František Debelka
Committee Member
Josef Valnoha
Committee Member
Ladislav Adam
Committee Member
Vratislav Čermák
Committee Member
Václav Novotný
Committee Member
František Paska
Committee Member
František Reinstein
Committee Member
Josef Řehořek
Committee Member
J. Řeháček
Commitee Member
Josef Kolb
Josef
František Svět
Old Man
Jan Stöckl
Retired Fire Chief
Antonín Blažejovský
Standa
Josef Kutálek
Ludva
Stanislav Holubec
Karel
Alena Květová
Růženka
Olga Blechová
-
Ivana Freiburgová
Miss Contest Nominee
Marie Slívová
Miss Contestant
V. Bartošová
Miss Contest Nominee
V. Janusová
Miss Contest Nominee
E. Šnajdrová
Miss Contest Nominee
Hana Kuberová
Miss Contestant
Miluše Zelená
Miss Contestant
Anna Liepoldová
Marie
Jiří Líbal
Rescuer
Miloslav Balcar
-
Marie Kovářová
Wife
Jarmila Kuchařová
Wife
Vlastimila Vlková
-
Hana Hanusová
Miss Contestant
Stanislav Dytrich
Waiter
F. Řehořková
-
M. Mejsnarová
-
Jaroslav Papoušek
-
Marie Beránková
-
Details
Reviews
deepkino
Miloš Forman's final film in the Czech language is a pure critique of bureaucracy. Set entirely at a banquet honoring a dying, 86-year-old former fire chief, it masterfully depicts the event's descent into fiasco. The film exposes the decay of Czechoslovak society and its so-called socialism, making the audience smile and even laugh, all without ever compromising its sharp comedic edge. It is a rare work that brilliantly critiques authority through humor.
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