The Jester's Tale

Bláznova kronika may not have as distinct a storyline as, for example, The Fabulous Baron Munchausen, and it may not be as visually elaborate as The Fabulous World of Jules Verne, but personally, I have a closer connection to it because it deals with a time period that has always interested me and approaches it with a great deal of humor typical of Karel Zeman's work. It portrays the Thirty Years' War to the audience with unmistakable irony. The opportunistic nobleman, who changes allegiance as easily as the wind turns the weather vane on his estate, has written on his shield, "Fidelity is my virtue." The mercenary changes his allegiance after his capture simply by changing his coat, and gives the novice instructions on military loot, which under no circumstances should be considered theft - these and many other scenes have stayed in my memory and contributed to my enjoyment of Bláznova kronika. The film's success was also due to the strong cast led by Petr Kostka and Miroslav Holub. Overall impression: 90%. (13/06/2006)

The smallness of man, the changing of coats (even literal ones), the hard fate of "ordinary" people who will always pay for what those above them do. These are just a few of the themes of The Jester's Tale, a film in which Karel Zeman didn't particularly keep his proverbial imagination in check (no, there really weren't dinosaurs or submarines in the Thirty Years' War), but he also concentrated all the more on everything else. The special effects are there, and one cannot help but marvel at their 45-year-old inventiveness. Animation alternates with sets, miniatures and everything we know and love Zeman for. The music is also good and the actors are great. Petr Kostka really reminds us of Philip's Fan-Fan the Tulip, and Karel Effa also played his villain nicely. In addition to all this, there are beautiful women, František Smolík as the narrator and Vladimír Menšík in a minor but without exaggeration memorable role of the court painter... I don't give it a fifth star only because of the slightly slower pace into which The Jester's Tale falls in the third quarter. (19/06/2010)