Bláznova kronika

The children's films made in the Socialist countries were just about their only productions not to be blighted by dogma. Though it's slow and it's characters are thinly etched THE JESTER'S TALE is still agreeable. The combination of live action and drawn material has style through it's lack of artifice - real troops extend the painted line, the points of the compass appear in the sky above the real horsemen. The black and white composite images remain striking.

The film is the contemporary of FAN FAN LA TULIPE and shares the same enjoyable spirit as well as similar action choreography. If animator Zeman had been more at home with actors he might have made this one a more memorable venture but what he has done is still pleasant viewing.

THE JESTER'S TALE makes an interesting comparison with the serious Czech historical drama HONOR AND GLORY set in the same period.