H R.U.R.

Čupová’s English-language debut, a whimsical adaptation of the 1921 play by Karel Čapec, spins out a grim moral quandary in marvelous style. Rossum’s Universal Robots manufactures robots that appear fully human but complete people’s unwanted tasks for a fraction of the cost and with none of the feelings. Helena Glory, the daughter of the company president, is a robot empathizer—a stance that’s compromised when she’s swept into a romance by the head of robotics, Director Domin. As the years pass, robots become ingrained in society and society becomes dependent on them. The R.U.R. factory then turns into the hub of a rebellion when the first robot to be given feelings finds its primary emotion is anger. Only at the end of humanity’s reign as masters of the universe do humans face their role in the oppression of others. Rich watercolor pigments wash over the lithely drawn art, contrasting with the characters’ often philosophical dialogue and the mounting tension as robots and humankind face off. There’s an eerily familiar undertone to it all, which drives home the reality that humans have been trying to morally justify the enslavement of others for centuries. It’s a beautiful portrait of existential struggle. (Dec.)