In creating a filming style, director Oldrich Lipský was inspired by silent comedy films, from which he borrowed numerous effects, including film tinting, slow motion, and fast motion. Brdečka's experience as an animator, often in collaboration with Jiří Trnka, led to several effects and ideas derived from animation being incorporated into the film, including animated smoke rings and dotted lines for bullet paths, freeze frames for dramatic effect, and even a reference to the Acme Corporation from the "Looney Tunes" cartoons.