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Closely Watched Trains

1966 · Movie · 93 min · ★ 7.2 · 95% critics

ComedyDramaWar

At a quiet village railway station in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, a shy apprentice tries to navigate first love and sexual insecurity while the routines of depot life carry on around him. As wartime pressure and whispers of resistance creep closer, his awkward coming-of-age collides with the uneasy reality beyond the tracks.

Based on Closely Watched Trains

Also known as Closely Observed Trains

IMDb

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Details
Original title
Ostře sledované vlaky
Years
1966
Release date
1966-11-18
Language
CS
Runtime
93 min
Critic score
95/100
TMDB rating
7.2/10 (271 votes)
Box office
$1,500,000
About

You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a tragicomic coming-of-age story where sexual anxiety and everyday workplace antics sit beside wartime tension; Not for you if you dislike frank sex humor or bleak, grim moods like in Loves of a Blonde.

Pros: darkly funny moments; relatable coming-of-age; tense wartime backdrop | Cons: uneven tone shifts; slow stretches; humor not for all

Themes

  • based on novel or book
  • world war ii
  • coming of age
  • railroad
  • sexual awakening
  • czech new wave
  • czech resistance

Awards & recognition

  • Academy Award — Best International Feature Film · 1968
  • Academy Award — Best International Feature Film · 1968 · nominated
  • International Submission to the Academy Awards · 1968 · nominated

Cast & crew

Directed by Jiří Menzel