DVDRip | AVI | 416304 | DivX | MP3 | 8-20 min each | 25-120 MB each
The artists featured on the second volume of Image Entertainment and Jove Films’ enchanting Masters of Russian Animation, in their decision to abandon the real world in favor of one over which they have complete control, knew full well the inherent power of images. Each of the twelve short films presented on the disc, spanning a broad range of styles and moods, is more astounding than the next. Unfettered by the laws of nature, the animator’s vision is of the purest essence, limited only by the boundaries of their imagination (a lesson well learned by modern visionaries like Tim Burton and the Brothers Quay). Given the oppressive conditions under which these films were created – Russia has never been a bastion of free speech and unrestrained creativity – the decidedly upbeat message delivered by most of the shorts came as somewhat of a surprise. The overall picture painted is glaringly positive.
The most visually stunning piece in the set comes from Ivan Ivanov-Vano and Yuri Norstein (whose 1979 film, Tale of Tales, was deemed the best animated film of all time by a group of international animation historians). Entitled Battle at Kerzhenets, the short illustrates the onslaught of an army of foreign invaders on the unsuspecting people of Russia, portrayed in the style of the ancient masters. The Russian women, cradling infants, their robes laced with gold, look unmistakably like the Blessed Mother of the Classical period, leading one to believe that the advancing hordes have come to not only destroy the people, but their religious beliefs, as well. The filmmakers used breathtaking stop-motion animation, cut paper, and forced perspective to bring the battle at Kerzhenets to life. The invaders are draped in black and gold, their ebony horses breathing fire as they storm across the battlefield. To great effect, the score (by Rimsky Korsakov) increases in intensity as the confrontation progresses. The final moments of the battle are especially devastating: their earthly shells heaped in mounds, the spirits of the dead – black bodies silhouetted in neon blue – oversee the arrival of their fallen comrades into the afterlife, far and away the film’s most affecting sequence. All is not without hope, however, as evidenced by the film’s final sequence in which the survivors of the confrontation rise up to rebuild their shattered lives.
Season – Director: Ivan Ivanov-Vano (1969)
Long considered Russian’s foremost director of animated films, Ivanov-Vano’s features fro children won top honors at the most important international festivals and are still captivation audiences today. Seasons combines antique Russian lace with Viatsk toys and Tchaikovsky’s music. Yuri Norstein, who was to become the foremost name among Russia’s new generation of animation directors, worked on this film as an assistant to Ivanov-Vano.
Ballerina on the Boat – Director: Lev Atamanov (1969)
After establishing an international reputation for directing some of Soyuzmultfilm’s most critically acclaimed children’s films, Lev Atamanov also began to work in an innovative new way. BALLERINA ON THE BOAT combines his passions for ballet and the French impressionist art of Raoul Dufy with an extraordinary score written by the great Alfred Schnittke. The film was exquisitely choreographed by two dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet.
Armoire – Director – Andrei Khrjanovsky
A short but biting satire on Soviet life. A man moves all of the furnishings from his apartment into his closet. Film censors saw it as a critique of mediocrity. For Khrjanovsky, it was the story of a man trying to hide from the unpleasant world. Scored by Alfred Schnittke, the film was well-received in the USSR but not shown abroad.
Battle at Kerzhenets – Director: Ivan Ivanov-Vano & Yuri Norstein (1971)
This film depicts the struggle of Russian people against foreign invaders. Ivanov-Vano recognizing Norstein’s talent, gave his young protg considerable artistic freedom during production of this film and a co-directing credit. Fresco and icon paintings in the traditions of the ancient masters are combined with music from Rimsky Korsakov’s opera Tale of the Invisible City Kitezh.
Butterfly -Director: Andrei Khrjanovsky (1972)
A boy catches butterflies and put them in a glass jar. Once, however, a butterfly grows to such an enormous size that it catches the boy. Having suffered imprisonment, the boy becomes content to recognize the beauty of nature. BUTTERFLY was the first Khrjanovsky film to be shown at international festivals. Scored by Alfred Schnittke.
Island – Director: Fyodor Khitruk (1973)
Considered by many to be Khitruk’s greatest work. The story of a little man marooned on an island, bypassed by the modern world.
Also includes:
Fox and Rabbit (Y. Norstein, 1973),
Heron and Crane (Y. Norstein, 1974),
Hedgehog in the Fog (Y. Norstein, 1975),
Crane’s Feathers (I. Garanina, 1977),
Firing Range (A. Petrov, 1975),
Contact (Vladimir Tarasov, 1978).
To be continued...
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