1963poll viewing No4:
THE CUCUMBER HERO (Čestmír Mlíkovský)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1464767/
1/ Čestmír Mlíkovský is a highly enigmatic figure who made only a single feature film as a director, became almost one of the founding figures of Czechoslovak New Wave but instead, he disappeared into oblivion. All I can find about him is his life span (1927-1991), i.e. he was a few years older than the main directors of Czechoslovak New Wave. Prior to directing "The Cucumber Hero" he is said to work as an assistant director of Ladislav Helge. And at the turn of 1970s-1980s, he wrote scripts to a few rather conformist flicks (in a milieu of the softcore Stalinist regime which was set up after 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion to Czechoslovakia — the echo of 1950s hardcore Stalinism, coming after 1960s Thaw & New Wave intermezzo). Besides, one can find a claim in the category of "interesting trivia" that he also worked (for some unspecific time) as a warden in one of the many medieval castles which are tourist landmarks of Bohemia. Allegedly, there is said something more in an article called "The Story of a Man Drowned in a New Wave" by Petr Bilík in "Cinepur" magazine, issue #22 from September 2002. But this article is behind a paywall, so I am unable to read it now to figure out anything more.
2/ "The Cucumber Hero" is usually compared either to "The Sun in a Net", or "Black Peter" (due to a similar theme — youth looking for identity and self-realization, while facing generational conflict & absurdities of socialist dogmatism) and usually fails in both of these comparisons.
https://letterboxd.com/film/the-sun-in-a-net/
https://letterboxd.com/film/black-peter-1964/
Thus despite "Cucumber Hero's" undeniable experimental nature, as a starting point of Czechoslovak New Wave is considered "The Sun in a Net" and not "Cucumber Hero".
3/ "Cucumber Hero" is full of highly annoying young ppl. At times it's like watching the backstage of the American Idol — all those quasi-rebellious teens trying to stand out, but being conformists at the core of their hearts (like their fathers). And all of them being part of a collective persona — always hanging out together, having collective fun, doing collective pranks, etc. All these youngsters are being played by shooting stars from the main Czechoslovak acting schools which even highlights the annoying feeling (overplaying of young actors starting their careers) — as opposed to "Black Peter" where non-actors were engaged to "stage" the youthful alienation. When I was in the middle of "Cucumber Hero" I rewatched Elo Havetta's "Saint Jane" just to make sure that even youth partying in "Saint Jane" is not as annoying as in "Cucumber Hero".
4/ The main character of "Cucumber Hero" is Matěj, played by the same actor who is also the main character of the film called "Idiot from Xeenemünde" from approximately the same time (IMDb lists it as a 1963 flick too, but it seems to be made in 1962 — ltbxd's 1961 is also wrong most probably)...
https://letterboxd.com/film/blbec-z-xeenemunde/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055802/
Matěj is a somewhat idiotic character who is however dearly loved by his friends and his girlfriend (tho she cheats on him in the grand finale of the film — which is depicted with a great deal of inventive cinematography). He is supposed to be a kind of pure soul in Dostoyevski's "Idiot" spirit. But within my perception, this idiocy is still rather tinged with the paraphilic infantilism of Idiot from Xeenemünde than by Dostoyevski.
On the left Idiot from Xeenemünde, on the right Cucumber Hero.
5/ Another noteworthy detail from "Cucumber Hero" is a passionate recitation of poems by František Hrubín during one of the teens' home parties.
Within my perception, František Hrubín is the author of rhymes for kids.
As an infant, I dearly loved his "Špalíček of Verses and Fairy Tales" with illustrations by Jiří Trnka...
But I had zero urge to read František Hrubín as a teen.
František Hrubín was not part of my coming of age and thus I could hardly relate to Cucumber Heroes' passion for his work — it rather highlighted my perception of Cucumber Heroes' infantility.
However, to be honest, František Hrubín didn't write only for kids and on Letterboxd one can find this sentence...
which is probably the reason why in 1960s part of his oeuvre might have some appeal to some of the minor Czechoslovak New Wave directors, Otakar Vávra especially (besides Čestmír Mlíkovský).
6/ In 1960s, Otakar Vávra made three film adaptations of works by František Hrubín (August Sunday, Golden Queen, Romance for Bugle)...
https://letterboxd.com/film/august-sunday/
https://letterboxd.com/film/golden-queen/
https://letterboxd.com/film/romance-for-bugle/
Otakar Vávra (1911-2011) is a local epithet of conformism. He was a successful filmmaker during capitalist pre-WW2 Czechoslovakia, during Nazi Protectorate Bohemia&Moravia, after the commie coup, and if he would not be too old he would certainly make popular films even after the restoration of capitalism (post-1989).
In 1960s, he was a tutor of the main Czechoslovak New Wave directors and he was smart enough to take in reverse also a lesson from his pupils. Thus (despite pertaining to a different generation) he could become an active contributor to Czechoslovak New Wave (with his "Golden Queen" and "Romance for Bugle").
7/ I didn't watch those three films by Otakar Vávra yet, but now after watching "Cucumber Hero" they are high on my watchlist cuz I expect they might provide a somewhat similar viewing experience as "Cucumber Hero" — a mixture of highly interesting and of highly annoying (because Čestmír Mlíkovský and Otakar Vávra both probably had some high sense for conformism and generational conflict — the second from a somewhat paternalistic perspective).
And also, I need to read the article in "Cinepur" because "The Story of a Man Drowned in a New Wave" (about Čestmír Mlíkovský) might provide (alongside the "Cucumber Hero" viewing) some interesting insights into the backstage of Czechoslovak New Wave.
this would be more fun if his character wasn't a misogynist pig 
(cool find!)