"The ear" is a late production of the Czech new wave movement. It is politically more explicit that earlier films of this movement such as "Closely watched trains" (1966, Jiri Menzel) or "The Firemen's ball" (1967, Milos Forman).
It was made in 1970, that is after the invasion of the Warsaw pact in 1968. The film was prohibited by the communist censorship and only released in 1990.
"The ear" is situated in a hectic time for the Czech communist party. A couple of promiment members have been purged away. The main character is still on his job, but suspects that he is being eavesdropped.
A comparison with "Das leben der anderen" (2006, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck) is obviious, but there are differences too.
In "Das leben der anderen" the eavesdropping is certain, in "The ear" it is only a suspicion of the main character.
In "Das leben der anderen" the victim is a citizen outside the communist party. In "The ear" members of the communist party are fighting each other.
In "Das leben der anderen" the victim and the perpetrator are both being portrayed. "The ear" focusses exclusively on the victim (because it is not sure that there is a perpetrator). There is lot of attention for the effect on the married life of the victim. In this way the film also has a twist of "Who is afraid of Virginia Woolf" (1966, Mike Nichols) in it.
