medieval German art conventions. Barta said: "This element has actually solved certain spatial problems in that part of the mediaeval canon is that the important figures are big, and secondary figures are small. So it has solved the whole problem of space, and justifies an illogicality – a lack of logic – about the world of the film." Barta designed the puppets and sets himself. He started with drawings and then made models to provide three dimensions. The puppets were intentionally designed as to appear mechanical, which would contrast with the use of living rats, to create the impression that the rats were more alive than the humans. The exceptions were the characters Agnes and the fisherman, who were given a softer design to represent a world of purity. The puppets varied in size between one and 60 centimeters. One scene in the film features two-dimensional animation in a style radically different from the rest. This segment was inspired by medieval painting on wood, and in particular the art of Jan van Eyck. Filming took one year and after that the sound was added in post-production. The language spoken in the film is fictitious and not supposed to be literally understood by anybody. According to Barta, the language was "somewhat based on German, but the main emphasis was on the rhythm and the onomatopoeic quality of the language." Voice acting was provided by Oldřich Kaiser, Jiří Lábus, Michal Pavlíček and Vilém Čok. Release The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the 1986 Cannes Film Festival. Its Czechoslovak premiere was on 1 September the same year. An NTSC R1 DVD of Jiří Barta's films called "Jiri Barta: Labyrinth of Darkness" was released by Kino Video on 12 September 2006. The DVD contains most of Barta's filmography (this film, A Ballad About Green Wood, The Club of the Laid Off, The Design, Disc Jockey, The Last Theft, Riddles for a Candy, The Vanished World of Gloves). The other films range from 6 to 24 minutes in length. The DVD features the original Czech soundtracks with English subtitles. Other DVDs featuring the film include a Japanese version of the abovementioned release, as well as a French release from Doriane Films which has only this. A Czech DVD was released on 26 August 2009 along with The Club of the Laid Off and The Last Theft. Reception Critical reception Critical