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Closely Watched Trains, or Ostře sledované vlaky, is a 1966 Czech film by Jiří Menzel, based on a 1965 novel by Bohumil Hrabal. It has won several international awards, including the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 40th Academy Awards in 1968.[1] It merges a typical Coming of Age Story with large amounts of humor and a somewhat uncommon war story.
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Tropes used in Closely Watched Trains include:
- Benevolent Boss: The station master, even with his Grumpy Old Man antics.
- The Casanova: Hubička is remarkably successful with women. This draws the ire of his boss.
- Coming of Age Story: For Milos. Implies Character Development.
- Hypocritical Humour: Every so often. The station master flirting with the telegraphist when he called Hubička amoral for doing so is an example. Also, the stories one of the trains drivers and the station master tell each other.
- Interrupted Suicide: Milos attempts suicide after the embarrassing night with Masa. A worker discovers him by accident, and he is taken to hospital.
- La Résistance: The partisans, although we don't see much of them.
- The Loins Sleep Tonight: After going through Moment Killer after Moment Killer, Milos and Masa get some time together, but Milos is somewhat oversensitive, so things don't go anywhere.
- Married to the Job: Milos, even if it's downplayed.
- Mrs. Robinson: Played with. Milos is looking for one, but is unsuccessful until Viktoria turns up.
- Naive Newcomer: The film starts with Milos getting ready for his first day at the station.
- Official Couple: Milos and Masa.
- Pre-Climax Climax: Milos and Viktoria's night together
- Second World War: The setting. In particular, the people from the train station are required to closely watch the trains to prevent partisan attacks.
- Sex as Rite-of-Passage: It's certainly important for Milos.
- Sexy Secretary: The telegraphist.
- Think Unsexy Thoughts: What Dr. Brabec proposes Milos to deal with his premature ejaculation problems.
- Those Wacky Nazis: It plays in occupied Czechoslovakia, so this is a given. Councilor Zednicek is a Nazi collaborator.
- Who's Watching the Store?: Addressed. Milos takes Hubička's place while he indulges in his affair with the telegrapher.