The ornate cut-out animation of Karel Zeman brings to life this live-action tale of the Thirty Years War and a young man who is doing his best to avoid fighting in it. A peasant lad is suckered into the King's Army by an older fighter more concerned with money than which side to fight for (he even has a coat that flips to reveal the rival side's colors and crest). Surviving one battle, they load up with booty (“my favorite part of war: looting!”), meet a beautiful young woman, and are taken hostage by an enemy court. Jurácek's script merges his antimilitaristic bent and comedic tendencies, while his many surreal touches (such as soldiers parading before their leader, an oblivious toddler rocking away on a toy horse) are here aided greatly by the direction of Zeman, one of the world's most innovative animators.