The Firemen's Ball

Milos Forman's (Amadeus, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The People vs. Larry Flint, etc.) first color film, The Firemen's Ball (1967), is a hilarious farce. A small town is having a big party to celebrate the 86th birthday of their retired fire chief, and practically everything goes awry: the committee formed to choose the beauty queen of the ball (the winner will bestow a gift to the retired chief) only selects ugly girls, the door prizes that were to be given out via a lottery are stolen, and much more. Don't get the impression that this film is simply empty laughs however, this film is also a harsh satire on the communist Czech government in power at that time. The political themes are so strong that after the Soviet Invasion in 1968, which strengthened the communist hold that had previously been liberalizing, the film was "banned forever".

Kong gives it a very strong ***1/2 of ****

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Kong's Reviews:
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this was on tv here in Oz a month or so back & I recorded but as of yet haven't watched it - I must make the effort to check it out as most seem to really enjoy it.

I actually watched it again for the first time in years on World Movies recently.

It is indeed worthy of praise, working on many levels the script is complimented as usual for Mr Foreman with beautiful cinematography.

A very funny film that engages from begining to end and puts the audience through an emotionally charged farce that is worth repeat viewings.

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******"The Majority Is Always Wrong" Steve Mcqueen in Enemy Of The People******