Set during the Prague Spring, the setting of a local radio station plays a very important part in Waves, particularly because it remains one of the last standing institutes of ‘free-speech’ and criticism towards the government, even as other mediums have either been bought or threatened (lol, familiar?). At the helm of things is Milan (Stanislav Majer), the chief editor who is a communist with a reformist mindset. He doesn’t quite pay much heed to his own boss in transmitting an information without accurately fact-checking it, or alternately providing information tilting towards the authorities. So when Pavel wishes to apply for a job at the radio station, it is Tomas who dissents his decision before being identified for the job himself as a local technician by his former boss. The only catch being, Tomas would need to be a secret spy and eke out information and pass it on to the authorities which could do them harm. This is in return for his brother’s safety that soon results in a dilemma.

In many ways, the drama could be viewed as a political awakening or even a political metamorphosis for Tomas who is typical shown to be apolitical to begin with. So once Tomas finds himself in a typically political environment, he does get a chance to understand the people around him, whilst also being increasingly familiar with their moralities. The dilemma that often stalls Tomas from completely realigning himself to the ‘left’ is a personal dynamic with his brother. It is largely a conflict within a conflict for Tomas, who understands the intricacies of morality but at the same time, also understands the implications that his brother would have to face, that keeps him politically divided for two-thirds of the film. And hence, his closeness with his colleague Vera (Tatiana Pauhofova) can be directly equated with his dilemma. He develops a sense of intimacy with her, but is consistently threatened to leak information to the authorities. And the political climate was such that people were literally picked up and made to ‘disappear’ (lol, familiar (2) ?).

One of the recurring themes of the drama is highlighting the lost art of journalism, one of the crucial pillars of a healthy democracy. And that is represented through a bunch of sequences. In an early scene, Milan instructs his peers to understand the crux of a student protest that was regarded as ‘vandalism’ by the government authorities. In another, you see Milan questioning a character (of an opposing ideology, and favouring the government) on air whether the number of 99% people being happy and ‘voting’ for the government is actually true. He further goes on to question whether there is no manipulation or a pressure of voting for the government, citing examples of free speech and censorship with regards to the authorities. In another scene, you see the members of the radio investigating a money laundering case involving a character close to the Supreme Leader, that actually made the government fall! In many ways, Milan is representative of a character from the world of journalism who frequents is known to ask questions, as opposed to being mere mouth-pieces for the government and releasing information that largely remains censored. In all of this, Tomas remains a silent spectator, understanding the nuances of morality with respect to his job.

Closer to the extended final act, there are a couple of important plot-points that are wonderfully represented cinematically. Early on during the autocratic rule, you see a dim environment created with the use of snow that literally stood for the muted thoughts of the common man. But when the laws with respect to free speech and censorship are relaxed, you do see a wave of joy (synonymous to its title of high and low ebbs in the tale) with a gushing use of sunshine to depict happiness. But at the same time, you also see the character of Milan collapsing, a moment that can directly be equated to the new government collapsing at the start of the Warsaw Pact Invasion. For reference, the act of free speech by the ‘new’ government of Czechoslovakia was seen as a bout of fascism by The Soviet Union and their allies (Bulgaria, Poland, erstwhile East Germany), that prompted a full blown attack on the host country. And that essentially forms the crux of the final act in Waves.

In many ways, the extended ‘tense’ climax in the drama reminded me of Rang De Basanti (2006), wherein a group of friends who had killed the defence minister, had finally opened a can of worms at a local radio station while being hunted by the authorities that eventually caused an uproar. The main thread of a voice against the ‘fascist’ attack remained the common thread, while implying the ethics of journalism beautifully. In the absence of Milan, Tomas remains the kingpin, not afraid of his controlling former boss and transcending information to his team, who continued to work around the clock, and later at remote places to provide timely updates on the ‘surprise’ attack. The idea was not to ‘win’ but to literally tell the ‘enemy’ that someone was there in the battlefield (as mentioned by Ravish Kumar in his Magsaysay Award speech). So amidst the chaos, deaths and some moving montages, and even when there was a surrender on the part of the government, there are two events that transpire to close the loop. Tomas refused to leave his homeland citing the fact that ‘if everybody leaves, nothing will change’. This, while rejecting the offer of the ‘new work management’ at the radio station of impling by the government rules of censorship. His brother Pavel who had already acquired Austrian citizenship, returned to meet Tomas. On being asked on why did he return, he simply added a block of wood to the fire, signifying the fact that the fire will continue to burn through its people. The screenplay here is brilliant to the core and absolutely hits home with all the emotions in store (something that had me in tears by the end)!