Ruka (1965)

The Hand was banned by the Czech government because too easily seen as a parable about the cruelty of totalitarian government. Jiri Trnka has seen It as a horrifying protest against any violence restraining human freedom, emotions, creative force or life.
This short strictly follows story outline without developing lyrical details as usual; it had a strong dramatic arc with deep catharsisin the end. The elements are few, the symbolisms simple, and his trademark ornaments almost absent here, allowing the viewer to concentrate on the fable.



Trnka had used a combination of his typical funny-foolish but undefeated, ordinary man puppet as the protagonist and a live-action human hand as the despotic antagonist. A man in his room dedicates to pottery and to take care of his only plant. But suddenly a huge hand enters the room and orders him to make a statue of itself. The man refuses and he's persecuted by the ominous gloved hand.
As ever, Trnka’s use of lighting to convey the tiniest emotional nuances on an otherwise static face is little short of miraculous, as is his attention to detail.
You can buy The Puppet Films of Jiri Trnka.