L'orecchio

In a world where communism is really a threat to people's privacy, suspicion can drive you mad. Not only are you endlessly going over all your interactions with everyone you know, but you'll start to suspect those closest to you as well. This can build to a crescendo, until you actually find that you are being listened to. The lighting early on in this film is a great technique to build the suspense, which just adds to the insanity of communism.

The acute paranoia of daily life behind the Iron Curtain haunts a petty bureaucrat after he overhears an indiscreet remark at a party and becomes convinced his house is under government surveillance. Not surprisingly, the film spent over two decades in official limbo for daring to paint an unflattering portrait of Big Brother, showing the unseen influence of the State in a society where privilege is bought at the cost of privacy. The story begins where Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Conversation' left off, with the anxious civil servant and his equally suspicious wife trapped in a claustrophobic, dark comic nightmare of hidden microphones, tapped telephones, and invisible prying eyes, all the time wondering why the axe of political expedience is aimed at their innocent necks. The scenario would be absurd if it weren't so unsettling, and succeeds as both a disturbing parable of totalitarian oppression and a perversely entertaining black comedy.

i saw this at a university art screening years ago and this is one of those rare glimpses into what one can only wonder as being one of many practically lost gems as i have never seen it available on video or screened ever again, yet this is a truly classic film. i sadly don't remember much of the plot, but this film is about the very real fear that the main character's home is bugged by state police (the ear in question). the black and white cinematography is great, but this film is all about tension. it deserves to be seen.

As other reviewers mentioned, there are indeed echoes of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf", so this movie is WAOTVF + a political drama thriller. If that sounds interesting to you, watch it, it definitely won't disappoint you. It takes place in one night, it's very interesting, script is "tight", not a single second is wasted, good use of flashbacks and the acting is great.

It's not a masterpiece though like WAOTVW. Furthermore, i won't say that some things didn't make sense but i didn't get convinced entirely, i mean, during the last 20 minutes or so, a character was too hostile against the other and this character's transition was not so smooth. It didn't feel real, whereas during the first hour, it was like watching a real couple arguing with each other.

Despite these flaws, this is a good movie.

This is an outstanding film, even by the standards of the Czech New Wave and a hundred times better that The Lives of Others which covers similar ground and won much acclaim and the Oscar for Foreign Film- which just confirms that the process of critical evaluation and film recognition is grossly unfair. The only reason Ucho is not on any Best Film lists is because is was made in the wrong place at the wrong time. In fact I am also baffled that it every got made at all- I see how it got banned, but how did anyone get the studio to make it?

So what makes the film outstanding?...well everything really: Like all the Czech films of this period, it is great in every department.

Very good photography cutting from the pitch black house (shot entirely by candlight- no mean feat technically) to the crossly overlit party. At the party, there is a lot of virtuosic hand held camera and wide angle point of view shots as the man slips in uncut sequence from intense gossip huddle to gossip huddle. These shots alone are remarkable.

Acting- the core of the film is the disintegrating relationship between the man and his alcoholic wife – it's like Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff but with the added edge that every accusation she makes of him is overheard and potentially going to destroy them. It's very well acted.

Music and sound- typically of Czech films, a minimalist modern score with a very skillful post dub sound edit and mix

Script- beautifully nuanced...maybe drags a little in the middle, but it takes on a huge challenge and it does it very well