Distinguished by being 'banned forever' in its native Czechoslovakia, Němec's film is a masterpiece of barbed, darkly sinister wit. As a biting satire of authoritarianism and conformity and with its astute observations of human nature, the film's universal relevance continues to this day.

Considered the most politically dangerous film made during the short flowering of Czech cinema in the 1960's, this is its first-ever release on DVD.