Až Přijde Kocour (aka The Cassandra Cat) (1963)

In a rural Czechoslovakian village,  a traveling magic show comes to town. Among the show's attractions is a cat who has the ability to expose people's true colors ..... literally. Lovers turn red, the unfaithful turn yellow, mean spirited people turn violet, hypocrites turn gray, etc. Naturally, an upset majority of the villagers want the cat killed. Directed by Vojtech Jasny (ALL MY COMPATRIOTS), this fable (or fairy tale if you wish) is an inventive and charming one of a kind movie. There was a small explosion of notable Czech film makers in the 1960s that got international attention (some of whom crossed over to English language films). Directors like Milos Forman (LOVES OF A BLONDE), Ivan Passer (INTIMATE LIGHTNING), Jiri Menzel (CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS) and Jan Kadar (SHOP ON MAIN STREET). Vojtech Jasny didn't quite get the attention of his fellow Czech film makers even though THE CASSANDRA CAT won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes film festival. Though the film isn't a musical, Jasny has a musical sense in his direction so that during certain segments it feels like a musical. The film might be too whimsical for some but I found its way of touching on subjects like political corruption and animal cruelty without being heavy handed refreshing. Kudos to Jaroslav Kucera's imaginative wide screen cinematography and Jan Chaloupek's excellent score. Definitely worth seeking out. With Jan Werich, Emilia Vasaryova, Vlastimil Brodsky and Jiri Sovak.