Miloš Forman
A Czech director who fled communism to make Oscar-winning films in America, capturing rebellion with a humanist's eye.
1932–2018 (age 86)·Czech and American film director·Birthday: February 18·The Silent Generation
Biography
Born in Czechoslovakia, Miloš Forman lost his parents to Nazi concentration camps and grew up under a different kind of totalitarian rule. His early films, like 'The Firemen's Ball,' used absurdist comedy to needle the communist regime, leading to his emigration after the 1968 Soviet invasion. In Hollywood, he became a master of the biographical drama, drawn to stories of brilliant, difficult men clashing with authority. His films 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and 'Amadeus' didn't just win Best Picture; they felt like visceral experiences, using immersive detail and revelatory performances to explore the cost of defiance and the chaos of genius. Forman's work always carried the perspective of an outsider looking in, finding both the humor and the profound tragedy in the struggle for individual freedom.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Miloš was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Miloš Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Miloš's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 70
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 80
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2018Died at 86
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- Won the Academy Award for Best Director for both 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (1975) and 'Amadeus' (1984).
- His film 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' won the 'Big Five' Oscars (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay).
- Directed 'The People vs. Larry Flynt,' a controversial and critically acclaimed defense of free speech.
- His early Czech film 'The Firemen's Ball' was banned by the communist government for its satirical portrayal of bureaucracy.
Did You Know?
He was a professor of film at Columbia University in New York.
Forman's birth name was Jan Tomáš Forman; 'Miloš' was a nickname from childhood.
He played a small role as a priest in his own film 'Amadeus.'
His twin sons, Petr and Matěj, are also filmmakers.
“The more you know, the more you tolerate. The less you know, the more you judge.”
