Comments on: The Czech New Wave: Political Cinema with a Human Face http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/the-czech-new-wave-political-cinema-with-a-human-face/ LFM: The Voice of Freedom in Movies & Pop Culture Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:08:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Stones Cry Out - If they keep silent… » Things Heard: e124v1 http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/the-czech-new-wave-political-cinema-with-a-human-face/comment-page-1/#comment-553 Stones Cry Out - If they keep silent… » Things Heard: e124v1 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:19:54 +0000 http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/?p=3991#comment-553 [...] Czech cinema. [...] [...] Czech cinema. [...]

]]> By: Monday Highlights | Pseudo-Polymath http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/the-czech-new-wave-political-cinema-with-a-human-face/comment-page-1/#comment-552 Monday Highlights | Pseudo-Polymath Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:17:54 +0000 http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/?p=3991#comment-552 [...] Czech cinema. [...] [...] Czech cinema. [...]

]]> By: laurensmythe http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/the-czech-new-wave-political-cinema-with-a-human-face/comment-page-1/#comment-538 laurensmythe Sun, 20 Jun 2010 05:49:40 +0000 http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/?p=3991#comment-538 Those are really good points Jennifer, thanks so much for the response. It is true, laughter is the most dangerous thing for tyrannical governments, because their power relies on instilling fear in the public. Once that is gone then I guess, as you say, that it is that much harder for them to keep their grip on power. (Look at how over-sensitive Obama is every time someone makes a joke about him!) Now I feel I have to go and see some of these films! "Closely Watched Trains" was on TCM some time last year. I watched a little bit of it but because I didn't have the knowledge about the Czech New Wave and what it meant I didn't stick with it and watch the whole thing. Now if they replay it I will definitely watch it! Thanks again for the explanation of what it all meant. Those are really good points Jennifer, thanks so much for the response. It is true, laughter is the most dangerous thing for tyrannical governments, because their power relies on instilling fear in the public. Once that is gone then I guess, as you say, that it is that much harder for them to keep their grip on power. (Look at how over-sensitive Obama is every time someone makes a joke about him!)

Now I feel I have to go and see some of these films! “Closely Watched Trains” was on TCM some time last year. I watched a little bit of it but because I didn’t have the knowledge about the Czech New Wave and what it meant I didn’t stick with it and watch the whole thing. Now if they replay it I will definitely watch it! Thanks again for the explanation of what it all meant.

]]> By: Jennifer Baldwin http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/the-czech-new-wave-political-cinema-with-a-human-face/comment-page-1/#comment-536 Jennifer Baldwin Sat, 19 Jun 2010 21:54:17 +0000 http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/?p=3991#comment-536 Well, the government at the time was sort of split on two sides. Dubček was liberal (in the democratic sense, not the American politics sense) and he was trying to open Czechoslovakian society up. But there were still hard line Stalinist types in the government, so filmmakers were kind of caught in the middle: starting to be given more freedom, but with Neo-Stalinist types always watching over their shoulders. You are right, though, that people did want to see these films and there was pressure from within Czechoslovakia and from without (i.e.: the West) to let these films be shown and the directors to be recognized. When Jirí Menzel won an Oscar for CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS, the Czech authorities wouldn't let him get his award, but they eventually relented because of the pressure. As to why oppressive governments want to suppress films that are critical of said government? Well, I think it all comes down to power. Once the people of a country start to laugh a their government bureaucrats thanks to a film by say, Miloš Forman, it becomes that much harder for the bureaucrats to hold onto their power. Well, the government at the time was sort of split on two sides. Dubček was liberal (in the democratic sense, not the American politics sense) and he was trying to open Czechoslovakian society up. But there were still hard line Stalinist types in the government, so filmmakers were kind of caught in the middle: starting to be given more freedom, but with Neo-Stalinist types always watching over their shoulders.

You are right, though, that people did want to see these films and there was pressure from within Czechoslovakia and from without (i.e.: the West) to let these films be shown and the directors to be recognized. When Jirí Menzel won an Oscar for CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS, the Czech authorities wouldn’t let him get his award, but they eventually relented because of the pressure.

As to why oppressive governments want to suppress films that are critical of said government? Well, I think it all comes down to power. Once the people of a country start to laugh a their government bureaucrats thanks to a film by say, Miloš Forman, it becomes that much harder for the bureaucrats to hold onto their power.

]]> By: laurensmythe http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/the-czech-new-wave-political-cinema-with-a-human-face/comment-page-1/#comment-532 laurensmythe Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:39:34 +0000 http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/?p=3991#comment-532 It's fascinating that filmmakers were doing all this in the '60s in the Eastern bloc countries. I really had no idea about any of this (maybe I should have taken those cinema classes in college the way you did!) but its cool that they were doing this. Why were the Communist authorities so worried about these films? By suppressing them they probably actually just increased interest in them and made the population more determined to see these films. It’s fascinating that filmmakers were doing all this in the ’60s in the Eastern bloc countries. I really had no idea about any of this (maybe I should have taken those cinema classes in college the way you did!) but its cool that they were doing this. Why were the Communist authorities so worried about these films? By suppressing them they probably actually just increased interest in them and made the population more determined to see these films.

]]> By: Tweets that mention The Czech New Wave: Political Cinema with a Human Face » LFM: Libertas Film Magazine -- Topsy.com http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/the-czech-new-wave-political-cinema-with-a-human-face/comment-page-1/#comment-531 Tweets that mention The Czech New Wave: Political Cinema with a Human Face » LFM: Libertas Film Magazine -- Topsy.com Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:09:20 +0000 http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/?p=3991#comment-531 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mr. K, Libertas Film Mag. Libertas Film Mag said: New LFM Post: The Czech New Wave: Political Cinema with a Human Face ... See: http://bit.ly/dgeX7Q [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mr. K, Libertas Film Mag. Libertas Film Mag said: New LFM Post: The Czech New Wave: Political Cinema with a Human Face … See: http://bit.ly/dgeX7Q [...]

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