Svankmajer's latest is a darkly satirical tale, based on an old Czech
fable. It's about a sterile, childless couple who dig up a tree stump,
treat it as their baby and, by the force of their love, bring it to life. At
which point, it starts to devour everything around it. The film goes on
longer than it really needs to, and uses almost none of the director's
trademark animation; but it bristles with barbed political and
psychological intelligence, and displays a surreal imaginative
sensibility that remains unique.
