Hello guys! Today’s review is one of the more unique titles available to the U.S. market. It’s definitely animation, but it’s not Japanese. It’s based off of oriental techniques, but was made by a westerner. It’s archaic, yet is somehow well preserved, and still manages to look beautiful. With that out of the way, let’s look at the 1926 animated feature, The Adventures of Prince Achmed.
Story/Setup
Taken from the imdb webpage:
“A handsome prince rides a flying horse to faraway lands and embarks on magical adventures, which include befriending a witch, meeting Aladdin, battling demons and falling in love with a princess.”
Although this is highly summed up, this movie is based off of 1001 Arabian Nights. To be more specific, the movie is based off of The Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Paribanou (Who was from Andrew Lang’s “The Blue Fairy Book”). It’s actually kinda hard to explain the story, since it’s really the animation that tells the viewer what’s happening.
Setting
Like it states in the section above, this movie takes place within the universe of the 1001 Arabian Nights stories. Due to the way this was animated (More on this in a bit), everything has a simplistic look to it. The way it feels, however, is completely different. Because of the way this was animated, it feels as if you’re taking a trip through time, right to the thick of the Arabian Nights stories themselves.
Characters
Like the story, it’s kinda hard to talk about the story. In this circumstance, the characters (At least in the edition that I downloaded) don’t speak at all. Everything about them is conveyed entirely through their actions, and that is the only way you can judge them.
Animation
Here’s where this movie gets interesting. The animation of this movie was based off Wayang, a form of shadow puppet theater in Java. Puppets are made from buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks, and they’re placed behind a piece of white cloth. From there, a light bulb or oil lamp provides the illumination & shadow, and the play is acted out (Typically, the story is a romantic tale, especially adaptations of the classic Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana).
The animation style of Wayang, and the style used in this movie, are practically the same. The only difference is that Wayang is live action, and this was animated frame by frame.
Voice Acting
The version I have has absolutely no dub. It only has German lines within the movie itself, as it’s displayed like in a old-time black/white movie. The version that’s actively available (more on this in a sec) has a Japanese dub, and is subbed in English. Strange world, isn’t it?
Episodes & Episode Length
The Adventures of Prince Achmed is a nice way to kill time. Running in at just over an hour (1 hour & 7 minutes, to be specific), this movie is really entertaining for those who are interested in older animation techniques, or for those who want a intriguing story. Hell, even kids might get a kick out of this, as there’s enough action & movement to keep their eyes glued to the screen.
Availability & Pricing
The Adventures of Prince Achmed is (somewhat) readily available in the United States. Over on Amazon, there are plenty DVD of the film, and the pricing is great as well. New copies start at a little over 15 dollars, while the used copies (At the time of this writing, there are only 3) begin at a little over 22 dollars. I think the way to go should be obvious.
Extras/Other
Since I downloaded this, I don’t know what the extras are.
The only sounds you hear in this movie are the orchestral pieces that accompany each scene. I’m usually not a fan of orchestra/classical music, but I’ll be damned if I wasn’t impressed. It still manages to sound fresh, and it rings like crystal glass.
General Impression & Rating
The Adventures of Prince Achmed is truly a remarkable piece of animation. There’s never been anything nowadays that has managed to capture myth, fantasy, and wonder quite like this has (Although I’d argue that some of Studio Ghibli’s films have come close). It’s reputation as a high quality animated movie is well deserved, and should be see by every fan of animation at least once!
The Adventures of Prince Achmed gets a 8 out of 10.
See you all this Friday, when we’ll look at yet another goofy OVA. Until then, stay Otaku!
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For more information on Lotte Reiniger & Wayang (As well as a link to the movie), click on the links below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotte_Reiniger
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mulqoZ2LXeM
Also, today marks the 1-year anniversary of the release of Borderlands 2. To celebrate, here’s the opening cutscene. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZR1WSYCMX8
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