Milos Forman

The Profile

Milos Forman (1932–2018) was a Czech-American film director and a leading figure of the Czech New Wave. He won two Academy Awards for Best Director for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and Amadeus (1984).

Key voice of the Czech New Wave who emigrated after the 1968 invasion and became a naturalized American; known for humanist, satirical dramas and multiple Oscar-winning films.

DeBaser’s reviews celebrate Milos Forman’s range: the institutional rebellion of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the operatic power-play of Amadeus, the overlooked freshness of Taking Off, the elegant games of Valmont, and the tightrope biopic Man on the Moon. Performances (Nicholson, F. Murray Abraham, Jim Carrey) and awards loom large, while several writers note Amadeus’s deliberate historical liberties. Across the board, themes of freedom, artistry, and society’s rules keep returning.