The Ear

Probably the best film showing the communist 1950s not as an exhilarated working class era, but as a time full of fear and widespread snitching. Brzobohatý as a high-ranking communist official and Bohadalová as his wife give the performances of a lifetime. After the Russian occupation this film went into the vaults, of course. Kachyňa made a humiliating apology and survived, but Jan Procházka, with his script, set up his professional suicide. (11/05/2003)

This story never happened. The things that really happened were much worse (as Jan Procházka noted in his screenplay). “The most banned of the banned" or another busy night for the Minister’s private secretary. A thick atmosphere hand in hand with incredible tension-rise. A psycho(logical) portrait of life in Czechoslovakia in the nineteen fifties (i.e. during the Stalinist period). Kachyňa’s best ever picture. Those are the main ingredients of the best Czechoslovak movie about the impacts of Communism on regular people. (16/03/2022)

One of the 1001 movies you must see before you die – I don't want to say deservedly, but certainly not by chance. If you can imagine, or at best recall from your own experience, the fear that many people felt at that time, the testimonial value of the already disturbing and brilliantly acted The Ear is indescribable. But even today's generation doesn’t need vivid memories or excessive intelligence to grasp the tremendous power, thought and bravery of Kachyna's psychologically challenging probe, which was strictly forbidden under the comrades. A film that is unforgettable, even though it is not my cup of tea. 80% (05/08/2013)

An extraordinary film by Karel Kachyňa, which the director then had to smooth over with the authorities for a long time, while the film went straight into the vault. A top-notch screenplay that perfectly captured the essence of the era and the regime, and a superbly crafted atmosphere, culminating in the final scene. Excellent casting led by Jiřina Bohdalová and Radoslav Brzobohatý. It is simply a unique, although somewhat oppressive experience. This is not a film for pleasant entertainment, but rather a haunting nightmare of recent Czech history. Overall impression: 100%. (16/06/2006)

A despotic anonymous regime carried out in constant meaningless celebrations, speeches, and gestures. Its representatives, degenerated by alcohol and permanent fear. The insecurity of everyone in their current position. The personalized camera capturing the events of a party infiltrated by undercover cops, where nobody knows how to talk to whom and what is really going on, is my favorite conception of communism as totally insane chaos and generator of mental illness under the surface. (12/09/2008)