I picked up a copy of The Firemen’s Ball (1967) last year on a whim, which is a recently restored print, purchased maybe after the passing of director Milos Forman and realising I’d not seen any of his pre-America films made in his home country of Czechoslovakia. This 71-minute film about a chaotic ball organised by the firemen in a small town had me laughing loud and often. Apparently performed by many non-actors, there’s both an authenticity and looseness as it follows the evening descending into shambles with the troop trying to present itself as regal, organised and respectful but revealing themselves as petty, corrupt and ridiculous when trying to run a beauty contest as well as a raffle. There’s a sardonic humour, specific to its time and historical-social context but that still remains funny now. Recommended.
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