Black Peter

So many directors choose themes of youth as their first film. Think of Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows, or Federico Fellini's I Vitteloni. I suppose this is explainable in that this is what the director knows (often they are autobiographical) and they are cheap to make.

Milos Forman's first film, made in 1964, was Black Peter, about what we would call today a slacker. Petr has just acquired his first job, watching for shoplifters in a market. He is awkward at it, looking conspicuous, and when he suspects a man of stealing something he follows him all over town, but does not confront him.

At home, he has an overbearing father who specializes in criticizing anything Petr does. This dad likes to tuck his thumbs into his suspenders and strut around like an attorney talking to the jury.

Later, Petr goes to a party with a girl he likes. He runs into a kind named Cenda, who is a bricklayer's apprentice. He's kind of a rube, and Petr tolerates him with amusement (he even lends him money). Later, Petr's father makes Cenda show him his hands, and says to Petr that this is a real worker.

Petr is the kind of kid we might all have been at some point or another. He doesn't know what he wants, and one can imagine he turned into a revolutionary. Politics is not openly spoken of in the film, but the father sort of represents a government that is constantly watching people and nitpicking everything.

Black Peter ambles along, without much plot. It's not a great film but it shows signs of Forman's later greatness. I do wonder about the ending though. It doesn't as much end as it does stop.