Loves of a Blonde (1966)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Hair Case

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Loves of a Blonde (1966, Criterion Collection $29.95) flows in an easily-defined three-act structure, but grows ever more complex with each passing minute. In the small province of Zruc, the women outnumber the men sixteen to one. That doesn't bode well for Andula (Hana Brejchová) who longs for romance. But Army officials are aware of the problem and attempt to get a regiment of soldiers stationed there. At a dance, it turns out that the soldiers are all puffy, middle-aged weekend warriors, and sparks do not fly. But Andula meets up with a young pianist and shares a tryst with him. In the film's third section, she travels to his house in Prague and waits with his squabbling parents while he's out playing and carousing. The three segments represent longing, despair and hope. Forman beautifully balances a somber mood with breezy lightness, but moments of thick anguish can sometimes make the film rough going.

DVD Details: The DVD from the Criterion Collection comes with a new Forman video interview and a beautiful new transfer. As a side note, both Loves of a Blonde and Forman's The Firemen's Ball were co-written assistant directed by Ivan Passer, who went on to become a director in his own right with films like Intimate Lighting and Cutter's Way.