This satirical anti-war romance is set during the period of the Thirty Years' War. The action starts in 1625, when "press gongs" rounded up reluctant young men for the army, where they fought and often died for causes not of their own choosing. This story concerns two young men, Petr, who manages to escape from the army for a time, and the man who "pressed"' Petr into service and who doesn't care on which side of the war he fights him­self as long as he sees action.

Director Karel Zeman's film is a tour de force of imagination and technique. It combines animation and live photography, utilizing cartoon work old engravings, sets, local on shots, photomontage and other special effects in dazzling complexity, and with humour ranging from broad slapstick to sharp satire.