In 1960s, the Czech New Wave flourished under the influence of the New Wave movement of Europe and the reformatory atmosphere along with the progress of Market Socialism. Jiri Menzel, one of the key directors of the Czech New Wave, was associated with...
In 1960s, the Czech New Wave flourished under the influence of the New Wave movement of Europe and the reformatory atmosphere along with the progress of Market Socialism. Jiri Menzel, one of the key directors of the Czech New Wave, was associated with Czech literature, specially Bohumil Hrabal had a great deal of influence on Jiri Menzel`s works. Two films as typical Czech New Wave, <Closely Observed Trains> and <Larks On A String> based on Bohumil`s books, shows their distinguishing features as ``comedy`` and ``understanding of man and history``. In these films, Menzel described the history of force and repression of 1950s with comic cheerfulness. His comedy movies kept the balance between the depressing subject on gloomy political situation and the cheerful expression of characters and events. Jiri Menzel aimed at giving audiences the sense of freedom by happy humor expressing their painful history in a soft manner not by bitter sarcasm.