The Firemen's Ball

29/9/1968 1h 13m 7.1/10

Overview

The firemen of a provincial Czechoslovakian town throw a ball in honor of the old chief's retirement. There will be music and dancing, a beauty pageant and a raffle. The whole town will be in attendance. However, the proceedings are dogged by difficulty at every step. Workplace injuries, stolen prizes, a shortage of pretty girls... and fire.

Director

Miloš Forman

Top Billed Cast

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Josef Šebánek

Committee Member

Jan Vostrčil

Head of Committee

František Debelka

Committee Member

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Ladislav Adam

Committee Member

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Vratislav Čermák

Committee Member

Josef Valnoha

Committee Member

Reviews

deepkino

9/26/2025

7/10

Miloš Forman's final film in the Czech language is a pure critique of bureaucracy. Set entirely at a banquet honoring a dying, 86-year-old former fire chief, it masterfully depicts the event's descent into fiasco. The film exposes the decay of Czechoslovak society and its so-called socialism, making the audience smile and even laugh, all without ever compromising its sharp comedic edge. It is a rare work that brilliantly critiques authority through humor.