Jiri Barta: Labyrinth of Darkness

Czech animator Jiri Barta is not as well known as his fellow countryman Jan Svankmajer for two good reasons: Barta's output was limited to eight short stop-action films made from 1978-1989, and (truth be told) his work was inferior in style and substance to the brilliant Svankmajer. However, this first-time anthology of Barta's complete canon provides a rare chance to judge the filmmaker's output (his films are rarely shown stateside outside of film festivals). The best of this bunch are his 55-minute reinterpretation of “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” (1985), told with a visual panache that suggests traditional German woodblock carvings reinterpreted through a German Expressionist nightmare, and “The Club of the Laid Off” (1989), which has a Rod Serling-worthy vibe in its tale of discarded mannequins who share a cramped apartment. Unfortunately, Barta's other shorts too frequently err on the side of mechanical playfulness (most notably the 1982 offering “The Vanished World of Gloves,” where handwear comes to life)—these films are neither terribly charming nor artistic. Barta's sole venture into live action filmmaking is also included here, the 1987 21-minute “The Last Theft,” but this tale of a burglar who disastrously engages his victims in a dice game is strictly second rate on all levels. Optional. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)