This apocalyptic parable carries within it a clear echo of the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia       This unforgiving exploration of the Czech mentality tells the tale of a troupe of wandering actors who perform a passion play in some unnamed village       Fear of some unknown danger breaks out in the village, which is cut off from the surrounding world       Stupidity, selfishness and aggressiveness then come to the surface in this society under threat       In the film's key scene, a woman is raped by the self-styled leader       Zdenuk Mahler, who would later work on Forman's examination Mozart Amadeus, worked on the script      　　The director Evald Schorm (1929-1988) was one of the most original members of the Czech New Wave       During the normalization era, Schorm spent many years unable to direct       His last film, Killing with Kindness (1988) was only made in the twilight years of Communism       During that period when he was unable to direct films, he became an outstanding stage director       He directed groundbreaking productions at the Na zábradlí Theater and Laterna Magika