User reviews

These times were really bad. Communist party was the only party that ruled in that times in Czechoslovakia. Due to Marx-Lenin ideas, workers were the only good people. Every young man with rich ancestors or anti-communist ideas had to serve in 'black barons' instead of regular army troops. But this movie makes it funny. These so called good people, who were the leaders of 'black barons' military troops, were mostly stupid.

Very good comedy, I think. I had to laugh again and again.

This movie is very specific with its absurdity. Two things you might not realize is that the soldiers are there to fulfill their compulsory military service and regime didn't want them to have weapons in hand, they were incompatible with communist thinking so they ended up there... This was a picture of how it was established in Czechoslovak people's army, not Poland. Although it was for sure similar. Most important in this kind of army was to be a member of communist party, that brought you power to give orders to doctors, engineers, artists and film producers to suck their souls empty. They could only take their lives from some other side as seen. In movie Dark Blue World, it was described how they treated heroes returned back from ww2 - western front...

Czechoslovakia 1956 and another five year plan takes effect with the creation of the unit, Black Barrons. These soldiers don't carry arms nor fight but are a unit which will help the building of a new nation. The unit is made up of poets, noblemen, film makers and thieves. Each with a hang up and a dislike for their foolish generals. This film takes a swipe at the political system of the time with humorous moments. But it wears out by the end of it all.