Labyrinth Of Darkness - Jiri Barta (1978-89)

Genre: Animation , Stop-Motion , Surrealism

Year: 1978 -89

Country: Czech Republic

Runtime:

Director: Jiri Barta

Casts: n/a



.: Резюме :.

Best known for his celebrated stop-motion adaptation of the Grimm fairy tale, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Czech animator Jiri Barta and his films have remained largely unknown in the United States. Nevertheless, KimStim and Kino (as they have with the short works of fellow Czech animator Jan Svankmajer) have aimed to rectify this with the release of all eight Barta films on the DVD, Labyrinth of Darkness.



At first glance it is easy to see that Svankmajer has been an influence on Barta visually, and to an extent, thematically. However, after watching Barta's films it's just as easy to appreciate how vastly the style of animation and the overall aesthetic approach to filmmaking dramatically shifts. All eight films are remarkable, as the filmmaker employs a number of stunning animating/filmmaking techniques, each perfectly suited to their narrative. Rather than appearing inconsistent, however, it seems that Barta is simply comfortable exploring the medium and consistently uses it to great advantage.



As the shifts in visual style indicate, the storytelling is also equally varied, ranging from silent era-influenced vampiric horror (The Last Theft) to a whimsical sketch of cinema's history starring an ensemble of gloves (The Vanished World of Gloves). All eight films are wondrous and delightfully entertaining, but in addition to the two films I've just mentioned, The Club of the Laid Off, and Barta's The Pied Piper of Hamelin (boasting a miniature set that recalls both M.C. Escher and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) are truly spectacular.



The Club of the Laid Off tells the story of a family of discarded mannequins living in a dilapidated apartment, whose routine existence is infringed upon by an assemblage of "modern" mannequins that like to party, and come equipped with a television. It's a great short film reminiscent of Svankmajer, with superb animation and an atmosphere of decrepitude that is both palpable and exquisite. This clash between the past and the present, and the inevitable permutation of the two, is again explored in my favorite of Barta's films, The Last Thief.




Category: Movies/XVID
Size: 1.66 GB
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Added: 13/09/2011 15:09:55