BasedonthenovelbyKarelCapek,theprominentCzechwriteroftheearly20thcenturywhocoinedthewordrobotforhisplayR.U.R.,thestoryrevolvesaroundadiscoveryofKrakatit-apowerfulexplosive-byProkop,anexperimentalscientistwho,followinganaccidentalexplosioninhislab,slipsinandoutofdelirium.Whenherealisesthat,inadeliriousperiod,hehasgiventheformulaformakingKrakatittooneofhiscolleagues,hetriestofindtheman,whodoesnotrealizehowdangerousathingKrakatitis.Intheprocess,henearlygiveshisdiscoveryawayagaintoforeigninterests,agroupofanarchists,andevengreaterforcesofdarkness..bbb

　　Thisapocalypticparablecarrieswithinitaclearechoofthe1968invasionofCzechoslovakia.ThisunforgivingexplorationoftheCzechmentalitytellsthetaleofatroupeofwanderingactorswhoperformapassionplayinsomeunnamedvillage.Fearofsomeunknowndangerbreaksoutinthevillage,whichiscutofffromthesurroundingworld.Stupidity,selfishnessandaggressivenessthencometothesurfaceinthissocietyunderthreat.Inthefilm'skeyscene,awomanisrapedbytheself-styledleader.ZdenukMahler,whowouldlaterworkonForman'sexaminationMozartAmadeus,workedonthescripteee　　ThedirectorEvaldSchorm(1929-1988)wasoneofthemostoriginalmembersoftheCzech"NewWave".Duringthe"normalization"era,Schormspentmanyyearsunabletodirect.Hislastfilm,KillingwithKindness(1988)wasonlymadeinthetwilightyearsofCommunism.Duringthatperiodwhenhewasunabletodirectfilms,hebecameanoutstandingstagedirector.Hedirectedgroundbreakingproductionsatthe"Nazábradlí"TheaterandLaternaMagika.