The Joke

An Ironic, Sexy, and Sour Comedy

A brilliant adaptation of Milan Kundera's (Unbearable Lightness of Being) great novel, this tragicomedy directed by Jaromil Jires revolves around a single joke: a professor, who is also an unrepentant ladies' man, is sentenced to six years hard labor for an irreverent postcard he sends to a woman he's trying to seduce.

This ironic, sexy, sour, black-and-white film is a stunning vision of life in Czechoslovakia during the Stalinist 50's, and a tour-de-force by director Jars.

Czech New Wave:
One of the greatest of all film movements, the Czech New Wave emerged during the 1960's, crested to extraordinary heights, then was savagely repressed by the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. This series continues Facets' commitment to one of the most exciting film movements of all time.