When we first meet Jan Dite (Oldrich Kaiser), the protagonist of "I Served the King of England," he's just getting out of prison in Prague, having served almost 15 years. We don't know where he's going, or where he's been.

But history has a funny way of making itself known, especially in the movies. Turns out Dite spent his most formative years in and around hotels and restaurants, learning, as his boss advised, how to "see and hear nothing, and see and hear everything."

The film meanders between Dite in his youth in pre-World War II Prague, chasing skirts and toying with old men (one of his favorite pastimes was watching businessmen scurry like mice, chasing loose change he's dropped), and Dite in his old age, as he finds a place to live and meets a woman.

Meanwhile, the young Dite (Ivan Barnev) falls for a young German woman, whose attitude toward Czechs foreshadows the arrival of a certain dictator. To his great luck, then misfortune, he heeds his boss's advice to snatch up postage stamps ("They're the only thing that will hold their value"), and soon he's looking to buy the hotel he cut his adult teeth on. But the film's gentle, direct sense of humor gives way to quite a serious situation as Hitler bears down on Czechoslovakia and the government cedes control to Der Fuehrer.

"I Served the King of England" was the Czech Republic's official entry to the Academy Awards last year (yes, it has subtitles), and the picture's quality is evident. The film draws inspiration from silent films, from its liberal use of calliope-type music to a direct homage, with a sequence shot in black and white, complete with old-time dialogue cards.

The movie fits nicely as a companion piece to a film like "A Very Long Engagement," another lighthearted film dealing with pretty serious matters. Its subtle humor is charming, and its leisurely pacing is such a breath of fresh air, you'll hardly notice you're getting a history lesson about the 20th century's most trying times.

I Served the King of England

In a word: Whimsical.

Joe's verdict: 3 and a half stars (out of four)

Rated: R.

Running time: 2 hours.

Starring: Ivan Barnev, Oldrich Kaiser, Julia Jentsch.

Director: Jiri Menzel.