Who is truly free, and who is truly mad are the questions asked, in a setting mixing 18th century trappings with contempo locations. Naive Jean Berlot (Pavel Liska) is on his way to an insane asylum where his mother has died. Plagued by recurring nightmares of men in white coats, Jean's nocturnal outbursts attract the attention of fellow traveler the Marquis (Jan Triska), who offers the hapless man a lift.

Hesitantly accepting the strange aristocrat's hospitality, Jean spies his host conducting a debauched orgy in a chapel, with an obviously unwilling Charlotte (Anna Geislerova) being forced to participate.

The following day the Marquis apparently expires in a fit of apoplexy, and is buried by Jean and mute servant Dominic (Pavel Novy). But the following morning the master enjoys a banquet in the crypt. The Marquis explains his theory of "purgative therapy": He feared being buried alive, so to rid himself of the phobia he had himself entombed.

The Marquis suggests Jean commit himself to end his fears of madness.

Edgar Allan Poe's frequently pilfered tale "The Premature Burial" serves as a key plot device, but Svankmajer simply uses it to lend atmosphere to his exploration of Sade's questioning of good and evil, asking auds to consider whether theories of freedom or harsh discipline function as equally repressive measures.

In glorious counterpoint are the strange animation sequences, full of cavorting raw meat, pig's trotters, eyeballs and, especially tongues, skittering along surfaces. More moving animal parts and less human pontificating would make a stronger case for a tale already rich in imagery. Another drawback is Liska, too one-dimensional to stand against Triska's overpowering performance.

Print screened in Rotterdam was often too dark, especially in the mausoleum scene when animated pigs' brains emerging from tin cans should have been more deliciously defined.
 
Camera (color), Juraj Galvanek; editor, Marie Zemanova; art directors, Eva Svankmajerova, Jan Svankmajer; costume designers, Veronika Hruba, Eva Svankmajerova; sound (Dolby Digital), Ivo Spajl; animation, Martin Kublak, Bedrich Glaser. Reviewed at Rotterdam Film Festival (Kings & Aces), Jan. 28, 2006. (Also in Berlin Film Festival -- market.) Running time: 121 MIN.
 

 
With: Pavel Novy, Stano Danciak, Jiri Krytinam.