Thousand Clarinets

A gung-ho musical comedy prefiguring the Prague Spring, with much the same notion of poking flowers down the rifle muzzles. As an army cadre is taking aim at a deserting trainee, their weapons suddenly turn into clarinets. It transpires that the spa town of Alkalis and its environs have become a magical musical transformation zone. The barracks are awash with violins, trombones and guitars, and on hand is an ambitious TV reporter plus two famous singers. Get ready, here comes a show! Mixing droll, absurdist Czech New Wave humour with a jumble of variety-style musical acts, this is a determined 'entertainment', with plenty of gleaming teeth aimed at the camera (most of the songs aren't subtitled). But its simple, subversive backbone and accomplished sense of invention underpin it to spry effect.