THE PIED PIPER (KRYSAŘ), 1986, Czechoslovakia, 53 min. Director Jiří Barta’s stop-motion animated masterpiece, based on The Pied Piper of Hamelin, is set in a dark and twisted medieval village of narrow streets and weird Gothic arches, half-CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI and half-Jan van Eyck. The money-obsessed citizens, carved out of wood blocks and speaking in an onomatopoeic babble, are like George Grosz caricatures, literally spouting coins from their mouths instead of words. The rats are far more organic and sympathetic, made of real fur and whiskers, constantly tunneling and burrowing under the towering arches and cobblestone streets above. Fans of fellow Czech animation legend Jan Švankmajer and the Brothers Quay will adore Barta’s eerie, Expressionist gem, recently restored by Deaf Crocodile for its first-ever U.S. Blu-ray release, in association with Krátký Film Praha and Comeback Company. This new Deluxe 2-Disc Edition features seven beautifully restored Barta short films, two director interviews, an all-new visual essay and more.

For previous thoughts on The Pied Piper, please check out our review of the original Blu-Ray release here.

For thoughts on the new deluxe edition of The Pied Piper & Jiri Barta Shorts, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

The Pied Piper returns to Blu-Ray in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a stunning restoration courtesy of Krátký Film Praha and Craig Rogers of Deaf Crocodile. Over the past few years, the company has spearheaded some incredible projects that have rescued some gems of international cinema, and this just might be one of their best presentations yet. This stop-motion animated effort provides sumptuous textures within all of the environments thanks to the naturally filmic presentation. The grain is resolved flawlessly and gives the feature a really nice sense of depth.

This might be an animated production, but the color palette leans more to the intentionally dingy side of the spectrum rather than your candy-colored hues. The colors that are on display are exhibited with a distinct capturing of their subtle hues with great saturation. One of the areas where the feature really shines is the fluid movement of the characters as they relate to the environment. Black levels are robust with no issues of banding or compression issues. This Blu-Ray provides a 5-star presentation for an animated property that many probably thought would never get such treatment. Deaf Crocodile has proven once again that they are one of the most exciting labels in the boutique home entertainment space.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono track in the original Czech (with optional English subtitles). Despite saying this, it is not really applicable, as the “dialogue” that makes up the feature is unintelligible gibberish when there is anything at all being uttered. This experience is mostly made up of sound effects and the score which remains favorably balanced. The film employs some unique, effective sound effects in the form of squeaking rats and other prominent noises that are given the appropriate presence within the mix. The music complements the proceedings with faultless fidelity. The track handles atmospheric effects well on all fronts. The track is surprisingly dynamic and is presented faithfully without anything in the way of damage or other unwanted issues.

Special Features

The Deluxe Edition Blu-Ray of The Pied Piper & Jiri Barta Shorts arrives in a hard slipcase package that is a beauty in person. The release also includes a 60-page bound book featuring new essays by film historian Jonathan Owen and film critic and author Walter Chaw, an essay from Czech film expert Irena Kovarova from the previous release, and rare production artwork and photos. All of this provides great insight into the film, the themes, the career of Jiří Barta, and the behind-the-scenes details in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Disc One (The Pied Piper)

Audio Commentary: Czech film expert Irena Kovarova of Comeback Company and film critic & historian Peter Hames deliver a really informative commentary track in which they discuss the origins of the project, how this compares to the original story and other adaptations, the tone of the story, the approach to animation, the work of director Jiří Barta, the influences of gothic and fairytale traditions and more. This is a great addition that fans of the film should definitely check out.

The Vanished World of Gloves: A nearly 18-minute restored 1982 short film from director Jiří Barta cleverly uses animated gloves to take you through the history of cinema. Like the main feature, this restoration is great for a film that is quite a bit of fun.

The Chronicle of Pied Piper: A 13-minute archival featurette is provided which gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of The Pied Piper with some fascinating footage of models being made and shots being composed.

New Interview with Director Jiří Barta: Deaf Crocodile’s Dennis Bartok interviews Barta for 52 minutes who discusses his early childhood and career in Prague, his influences, the work of his co-writer, taking a more visual approach to the source material, the animation process of the time, the audience response to the rats and more. Barta speaks in his native language with translation provided by Irena Kovarova. This is a really wonderful discussion which is a great resource for animation historians.

Disc Two (Jiri Barta Shorts)

Interview with Director Jiří Barta: Deaf Crocodile’s Dennis Bartok interviews Barta once again in 2025 for 76 minutes which dives more into the creation of the short films this time. It is always so valuable when a director is still around and willing to explore his work in such detail.

Pushed to the Margins – The Shorts of Jiří Barta: A new 30-minute visual essay narrated by Czech film expert Irena Kovarova of Comeback Company, film critic & historian Peter Hames and edited by Ryan Verrill of Someone’s Favorite Productions. This piece finds the two experts giving rich analysis of each short that adds some very valuable context.

Short Films: Six incredible shorts were newly restored to perfection by Craig Rogers of Deaf Crocodile for this release. The previous restoration of The Vanished World of Gloves was carried over to this disc to provide the complete collection of shorts in one place.

- Riddles for a Candy (1978, 8:13)

- Disc Jockey (1980, 9:47)

- The Design (1981, 6:00)

- The Vanished World of Gloves (1982, 17:27)

- A Ballad About Green Wood (1983, 10:39)

- The Last Theft (1987, 20:57)

- The Club of the Laid Off (1989, 25:14)

Final Thoughts

The Pied Piper is a dark and occasionally morose fable that uses stop-motion animation to reach fantastic creative heights. On a technical level, this film is beyond reproach as every element is working in top form from the animation to the editing and sound design. The narrative drives everything home as it does not shirk away from the twisted and piercing nature of the conclusion. That daring sensibility is what director Jiří Barta brings to all of his work, and this new release gives audiences the opportunity to witness so many brilliant artistic endeavors in one place that will make you question why he is not a household name for the average cinephile. This is truly wonderful work. Deaf Crocodile has released a terrific new Blu-Ray set which sports a tremendous A/V presentation and an unbeatable assortment of special features. If you are open to embracing all that animation has to offer, do yourself a favor and seek out the work of this incredible filmmaker. Recommended

The Pied Piper & Jiri Barta Shorts is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Deluxe Edition Slipcase exclusively through Deaf Crocodile and DiabolikDVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.