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Vaclav Stockel, Josef Svet, Josef Valnoha, Jan Vostrcil, Josef Kolb ... see more see more... , Frantisek Debelka , Josef Sebanek , Marie Jezkova , Jan Vostrail

Firemen's Ball was Czechoslovakian director Milos Forman's final film in his home country; he was scouting locations in Paris when the Russians moved their tanks into Prague in 1968 causing Forman to ... read more read more...decide to remain an expatriate. Because of the supercharged political climate of the era, critics read all sorts of allegory and hidden meanings into the Firemen's Ball. Other critics simply accepted the film as the slapsticky tale of a disastrous small-town celebration in honor of a retiring fire chief, and laughed accordingly. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

80% liked it

2,108 ratings

Critics

89% liked it

19 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 13 min.

Directed by: Milos Forman

Release Date: December 15, 1967

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DVD Release Date: February 12, 2002

Stats: 129 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (129)

  • kenstachnik
    April 7, 2012
    kenstachnik
    fantastically funny
  • ajv2688
    April 4, 2012
    ajv2688
    A hilariously quirky little foreign comedy from a brilliant director. There aren't any really well known actors or anything like that, but it's short and simple and enjoyable, so I highly recommend it.
  • flixsterman
    April 4, 2012
    flixsterman
    Director Milos Forman's last film endeavor in his native Czechoslovakia is a comedy ripe with covert political satire, so much so that it almost cost him 10 years in a socialist prison.

    A small town fire brigade is throwing a party to honor their retiring commissioner, complete ... read morewith a dance, a prize lottery and a beauty contest. Murphy's Law applies and all that can go wrong does.

    Whether it's intentional or not, Forman's film has a lot to say about the fallacy of social control committees and bureaus when they run counter to common sense and human nature. The Fireman's Ball is as courageous as it is funny. Four Stars.
  • tsigur
    April 4, 2012
    tsigur
    Milos Foreman before Amadeus and with real people instead of actors = badass.
  • pier007
    October 20, 2010
    pier007
    Hilarious. Reminded me of the farcical tone and ineptitude of the Keystone cops and sense of anarchy of the Marx brothers. Superb political satire.
  • jackamaku
    April 4, 2012
    jackamaku
    Brilliant yet simple film about small town firemen hosting a dance with door prizes and a last minute beauty pageant. Love the documentary feel of this... Also, you know its good when its country permanently bans the film.
  • Ivan6655321
    August 21, 2010
    Ivan6655321
    Though it's not very surprising to such films of this kind, I'm still quite flabbergasted at this film's cynical randomness. "The Firemen's Ball" opened up with a seemingly very decipherable humor-laden symbolism(the ball poster on fire) of the eponymous event's forthcoming doom.... read more Since then, it's all chaos and weird plot devices(the lottery prize table, the axe gift) that although Milos Forman claimed it to have no buried meanings, it's still very hard to imagine that everything that transpired in the picture are without some political innuendos. But above the weird and the absurd, lies one simple message of the film that was indeed very clear to me: A simpler party for the chairman could have made a more heartfelt celebration(furthered by how the chairman perfectly delivered what he's got to say). Without the unpredictable mob, without the prizes, even with just him and his bumbling firemen, I think it would have still been called a night. Milos Forman, From "The Firemen's Ball" to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"(or "Amadeus"); Now that's what I would call a great directorial jump.
  • jscottcorley
    April 4, 2012
    jscottcorley
    This movie is hilarious. Watch for the part where they turn off the lights to get people to return stolen items!!
  • hugekcroyalsfan
    April 4, 2012
    hugekcroyalsfan
    This is the funniest foreign film that I have seen. What kind of person would steal all of the prizes?

View All The Firemen's Ball Reviews

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce
June 4, 2011
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

The Party, the People, and the flames that won't be extinguished Full Review

Emanuel Levy
March 31, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

The last film of Czech Milos Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)before leaving his country for the U.S. was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
November 22, 2009
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

A lively but gross satire by Czech writer-director Milos Forman. Full Review

Stephen Garrett
December 10, 2008
Stephen Garrett, Time Out New York

The nonprofessional actors, hammy slapstick and overwrought politics make it a better conversation piece than viewing experience. Full Review

Cole Smithey
September 18, 2008
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

A text book art movie from a young rebel.

Dan Lybarger
October 22, 2004
Dan Lybarger, Nitrate Online

Once banned in its country of origin, this allegorical comedy is scathing and downright hilarious.

Jeremy Heilman
May 24, 2002
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com

Works most impressively as a political artifact. Full Review

John A. Nesbit
May 10, 2002
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews

...the film strikes deeper chords and reminds us how important artistic freedom is to any lover of cinema Full Review

James Kendrick
February 20, 2002
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

should be a one-joke political satire, but Forman brings a level of humanity to the allegorical meltdown that belies its sharply barbed political intentions

Christopher Null
February 18, 2002
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

A work of genius Full Review

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