Closely Watched Trains

Czech director Jiri Menzel's Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film in 1967 is a wry and earthy comedy set in a small Czechoslovakian rail station during WWII. 17-year old Milos (Vaclav Neckar), the new employee watches, in awe, as his boss Hubicka lands one lass after another on the station sofa. But when Milos gets his chance, he fails. The doctor's diagnosis: ejaculatio praecox. Responding in a somewhat extreme manner to the news, Milo slits his wrists, but is discovered before he can die. While attempting to solve his sexual problem, Milos becomes involved in Hubicka's plot to blow up a Nazi ammunitions train--an act which has tragicomic results. Although Closely Watched Trains is really quite clever--taken as a whole--from scene to scene it's a bit overrated (and one suspects that the boldness of the film--tame, by today's standards--had much to do with its critical success). Extra-less, the print is also scratchier than is usual from Criterion. Still, this is recommended, overall, for larger foreign collections. (R. Pitman)