Milos Forman and the Czech New Wave Cinema

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the history of the Czech film industry. Under Josef Stalin, the Soviet Union adopted the theory of socialist realism as the official state formula for works of art including the cinema. Socialist realism held that the arts should glorify the political and social ideals of communism. With the death of Stalin, the development of creative ideas in the film industry were part of a wider growth of ideas in economics, politics, literature and the arts which made up the Czech new wave movement. This paper details the characteristics and goals of this particular movement. The Czech new wave movement gave east European filmmakers various methods for solving ideological and historical issues while looking for new way of expressing reality. This paper focuses on the career and accomplishments of prominent filmmaker Milo Forman. The movies that Milos Forman made early in his career as a director in Czechoslovakia, notably "Loves of a Blonde" and "Fireman's Ball" broke the prevailing mold of socialist realism. This paper discusses various films directed by Forman as well as the director's motivations and methods for creating both timeless and memorable films.

From the Paper:

"With the death of Stalin, the development of creative ideas in the film industry were part of a wider growth of ideas in economics, politics, literature, and the arts that made up the Czechoslovak Reform Movement, or the New Wave. Eastern European filmmakers were trying various ways of solving ideological and historical problems, and looking for new styles for expressing reality: metaphors were the safest way to raise these issues under the close scrutiny of government censors. In Czechoslovak cinema, the symbols were derived directly from daily life. With liberalization it became possible to comment on the horrors and absurdities of the previous decade while directors dealt more directly with the compromises and crises of daily life. Honest, patient observation and a refusal to bend reality to the demands of a narrative characterize New Wave films."

More papers on Milos Forman and the Czech New Wave Cinema:

• Essay # 67377 : "The Czech New Wave Movement"
• Analytical Essay # 122540 : "French New Wave Cinema"
• Term Paper # 122001 : "French New Wave Films"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: