A Report on the Party and the Guests ( Czechoslovakia, 1966 )

Language : Czech

Director : Jan Nemec

Starring : Ivan Vyskocil, Jan klusak

Country : Czechoslovakia

Year : 1966

Let us jump into the plot first and then you can decide if you want to continue or close this window.

A group of seven, four men and three women are picnicking in the woods. Nearby to their place, they see a group of people. Initially, they think it’s a wedding party, but it is a group of men, who act in a kind of weird way. These men are not the kind of hilly billy or zombie or cannibal kind of people; they are dressed well, mostly in their business suit.

Later we learn the group is led by a man named Rudolf. These men take control of the picnickers; almost jail them in a non-existent room!, the room boundaries are drawn in the sand and stones are kept to symbolize the door!.

Demarcation of a room/jail cell 

When one picnicker tries escape, he is caught and tossed in the air just like what they do to a football manager after winning a match. Among these chaotic activities, there enters the man (Ivan) who identifies himself as the “Treater” of the party and the one who recently adopted Rudolf. 

He apologizes to the picnickers for bullying them. He then invites them to join him for the banquet, as there is a wedding and also a birthday celebration.

Treater, Ivan in the center with the guests

Ivan takes the picnicker’s to the lake side, a grand arrangement made for the banquet, and there are more guests. Suddenly, one of the picnickers discovers that her husband has left the party as he disliked the people here. The Treater, Ivan is disturbed by this activity of the guest, who left without saying a goodbye. 

He and his men, with their dogs go into the woods to track down the escaped guest, leaving picnickers alone in the lake side. The film ends here, when the picnickers turning off the candles as per Ivan’ request and the horrific barking of the dogs in search.

Political Satire?

If someone, like me, who is not from the same region of the film and also when the film is made some fifty years before had to dig deep to find out what the film is about?.

Certainly, the above story is not an everyday story we see or hear, the way in which the hosts of the party acts are bizarre and weird. There has to be some hidden meaning. Prior to viewing this film, I saw “The Shop on Main Street”, it’s a movie about fascism entering into Czechoslovakia, which was appreciated by the newly formed communist government, released in 1940’s. This party-guest film was released in 1960’s, which was banned by the communist government. So, I can connect some dots, but not all.

Jan klusak as Rudolf

Picnickers as Czechoslovakia. Living in peace with a democratic government.

Rodolf as Facist Germans entering into Czehoslovakia. Creating havoc and disrupting the lives of the people.

Treater, Ivan – Enter Soviet Union, by seeding communism in Czechoslovakia. Act as a savior of the people, but eventually trashing and hunting them down with their socialistic ideologies.

Is this kind of Animal Farm by George Orwell. May be !

Trailer - Snapshot of the film