WAVES, known as VLNY in the Czech Republic, is a historical drama thriller based on true events from the late 1960s in what was then Czechoslovakia. A friend of mine saw this film and wanted me to check it out. Although the Czech Republic isn't known for its films, this received high praise and became the country's official Oscar submission. This movie covers the events that led to the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union and its allies in Poland, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Czechoslovakia was going through a period of liberalization reforms in 1967 during a political period called Prague Spring, where they elected a reformer Alexander Dubcek. The Soviets feared Czechoslovakia would defect to NATO and that liberalization would extend throughout the Eastern Bloc, threatening their power. One of their first objectives was to seize Czechoslovak Radio and silence the airwaves. Czechoslovak Radio was pushing back against censorship and propaganda and promoting reformist ideas across Czechoslovakia. It also kept Czechoslovakians updated on the news and called for nonviolent resistance, threatening the invaders. A famous saying applies here: 'Control the information, and you control the people.' Although actual events inspired the story, its characters and plot are fictional. Several journalists are based on actual journalists from Czechoslovak Radio.
The Prague Spring push thrusts orphaned brothers Tomas and Pavel Havlik into the middle. Tomas initially wants no involvement in politics, but his teenage brother Pavel can't keep himself away from student protests. With his brother Pavel's safety reliant upon him, Tomas must make tough decisions. Tomas is a State Security (StB) agent, whose job is to check airwaves for intel. His director pressures him to join Czechoslovak Radio's journalist ranks as a technician to spy for StB. He agrees to join the team. Once he began working with the journalists, he recognized their care and love for their country. His conscience awakens, and he understands the gravity of his work.
WAVES is a decent movie that is easy to follow, even with English subtitles. The beginning starts at a slow pace, but its grip on you tightens. The directing, acting, tight editing, and production are skillfully handled. They built the 1960s atmosphere well and used contemporary music of the era (although I don't know Czech music). The faster pacing and filming style in the second hour keep you wondering what is coming next and hoping the Soviets don't get there in time. There are a few flaws, though. First, they needed to address the relevant ongoing global issues at the time better. These include the increased Cold War tensions, the responding Brezhnev Doctrine that justified the USSR's intervention throughout Eastern Europe, and the massive crackdown on protests in the USSR. Second, the flow connecting several scenes seemed odd. Finally, while important, Czechoslovak Radio's role seemed exaggerated in the film.
Would I recommend this? It's not a must-watch, but I suggest this film to those interested in learning about the threat Europe/the world faced from the communist Soviet Union. Also, the Soviets used the same false premise in 1968 that Russia used to invade Ukraine in 2022. As they say, history repeats itself. People often take the impact of journalists and reporters for granted. These are noble pursuits vital to civilization, and they often risk their lives courageously to bring information to the public. WAVES is worth watching once. My rating is 8/10.
*Any trivia facts were obtained from IMDB's trivia page and plot/basic history/name information from Wiki.
