#Konec agenta W4C prostrednictvím psa pana Foustky

[yesterdanereviews]

The End of Agent W4C, as Staged by Mr Fousta’s Dog (1967)

Film review #325

SYNOPSIS: International spy Cyril Juan Bourgette is undertaking a mission to travel to a hotel in Prague and retrieve plans for the militarisation of Venus hidden in a salt shaker. However, every other spy agency in the world also sends operatives on the same mission, and so they are all on the trail of the secret plans while trying not to blow their cover to one another. The Prague counter-intelligence unit also seeks to send someone on this mission, but being shorthanded, they are forced to send Fousta, their accountant. Bringing his dog Pajda along, Fousta enters the spy’s world of cunning and intrigue, while lacking either of those qualities, and ends up in way over his head...

THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: The End of Agent W4C, as Staged by Mr Fousta’s Dog (Konec agenta W4C prostrednictvím psa pana Foustky) is a 1967 Czech film that is a spoof of the James Bond 007 films. The film starts off by introducing spy and international heartthrob Cyril Juan Bourgette (or agent W4C), who simultaneously defeats a group of spies alongside seducing a woman in typically over-the-top, yet suave fashion. He is called on an assignment to retrieve a salt shaker from a hotel in Prague that contains a microfilm detailing plans for the militarisation of the planet Venus. However, as is typical of the spy game, spies from all other countries have learned of this, and are sending their own spies to retrieve the salt shaker. Prague intelligence also intend to join in on this, but as they have a shortage of spies, have to send in their accountant Fousta, who they designate as agent 13b. Fousta brings along his dog Pajda to the airport where he is to tail W4C to the hotel, but the film quickly reveals Fousta’s complete incompetence as a spy, as he misses W4C and fails to recognise that everyone else that gets off the plane is a spy that is tailing Bourgette as well. The film follows this basic formula of Fousta being the inept spy that is way out of his league, and completely oblivious to the complex spy games going on around him. The film is a lot of fun, especially when you see the spies from all around the world spying on each other and pretending that they aren’t spies at all. Bourgette is obviously a spoof of James Bond with his silly gadgets, cool demeanour and seductive charm, and Fousta is in contrast a complete buffoon who does not know the first thing abut spying, relying on his dog to get out of most situations. There’s plenty of comedy and it’s all very easy to follow, even when the spy games get ridiculously complicated and silly, you know it’s what makes it such a good spoof when everything gets way more complicated than it needs to be.

Bourgette, Fousta, his dog and every other spy end up in the hotel bar where the salt shaker is apparently located. This is definitely the best scene in the film, with the spies all trying to keep their cover while covertly searching all the salt shakers without trying to blow their cover, and eventually a massive brawl ensuing, with only Fousta oblivious to the spy game going on around him. The scene goes on for an extended amount of time, but remains engaging by constantly escalating the ridiculously overblown spy games, culminating in a mass fight where weapons are pulled out of instruments and other ridiculous scenarios, and which Fousta still manages to overlook. The film makes a lot of effort to showcase the whole spy game as a ridiculous show, and takes it to the extremes you would expect it to. All the scenes have a theatrical sense about the, insofar as none of the spies want to give up their cover, even when everyone knows they are all spies. A lot of the events that happen feel quite inconsequential, even though apparently there is a lot at stake in the salt shaker, but that’s part of the success of the spoof: that the spies take being a spy a lot more seriously than their mission. Even near the end and all the spies end up being electrocuted to death in a swimming pool, it’s all portrayed as the climax of the espionage farce, and its a bit of dark humour that works quite well. Overall, the film mixes some silly comedy from the ridiculous spy-themed antics and the dog’s clever antics while portraying the dark world of espionage as rather ridiculous when taken out of context. The plot is quite inconsequential to the spoof, and the strength of the film lies in it being a parody that has some bite to it. The characters fill out their roles quite nicely, and are recognisable while developing their own personality. The setups are well paced and thought out, and match the spy theme well, as a lot of it is just watching and waiting as you would expect. Oh, and the film delivers what the title promises, as W4C meets his end inadvertently at the hands of Mr. Fousta’s dog. Not hugely groundbreaking, but it’s clever, sufficiently deep and takes its subject matter seriously...before spoofing it anyway. All in all, an enjoyable watch.