One of
Jirí Trnka's full-length pictures, it is based upon
Hans Christian Andersen's fairy-tale. It is a story of a Chinese emperor that, because of a beautiful toy-nightingale, forgets about the song of a real, live nightingale that comforted him in his solitude. Trnka unconditionally backs the live art's side. The picture has strong ethical components, and it has been admired by many. It is also famous for the extraordinary music composed by
Václav Trojan.
—KrátkýFilm