Name: The Smoke
Genre: Comedy, Music
Released: 1991
Duration: 89 min
Cast: Jan Slovák, Lucie Zedníčková, Jaroslav Dušek, Monika Šeligová, Jan Fuchs

What The Smoke Is About

Tomáš Vorel's film grew out of his own 1985 student film ING, and it carries its subtitle openly: a musical of the totalitarian age. A young engineer arrives at his first workplace wanting to work, and learns one step at a time why that is impossible in the final days of the communist era. Vorel tells it not with documentary realism but with dance numbers whose amateurism is the point and chanted, hammering texts, turning the language of ideology into song in order to make it ridiculous. Michal Vích wrote the music. When it opened in 1991 it did not find its audience straight away; over the years it became one of the most quotable cult films in Czech cinema.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Smoke about?

Tomáš Vorel's film grew out of his own 1985 student film ING, and it carries its subtitle openly: a musical of the totalitarian age. A young engineer arrives at his first workplace wanting to work, and learns one step at a time why that is impossible in the final days of the communist era.

Where can I watch The Smoke?

The Smoke is available to watch on digital platforms such as Eternal Family. Current rent and buy options are listed in the "Where to Watch" section on this page.

How long is The Smoke?

The Smoke runs for 89 minutes (1h 29m).

When did The Smoke come out?

The Smoke was released in 1991.

Who directed The Smoke?

The Smoke was directed by Tomáš Vorel.

Who stars in The Smoke?

The Smoke stars Jan Slovák, Lucie Zedníčková, Jaroslav Dušek, Monika Šeligová.

What is The Smoke's rating?

The Smoke holds 7.4/10 on IMDb and 6.6/10 on TMDB. Its Pulse Score is 70 out of 100.