Son Of The White Mare (1981)
Director: Marcell Jankovics
Voice Forged: György Cserhalmi, Vera Pap & Mari Szemes
Language: Hungarian (with elective English subtitles)
Runtime: 86 minutes (predominant characteristic) 177 minutes (all options & shorts)
Format: Blu-ray
Launched: 14th November 2022
Jamie Havlin takes a glance a Hungarian movie regarded by many as the best psychedelic animated film ever made.
Fehérlófia, to present it its Hungarian title, relies on a variety of Jap European folks tales and begins with the white mare of the title being chased by an icy terrain. The creature hides within the hole of an enormous oak tree, and right here, she offers delivery to a bit colt who virtually instantly transforms right into a yellow haired boy. The tree turns into their residence and the boy – Treeshaker as he’s known as – suckles milk from her and learns to stroll.
He additionally learns of the occasions that led to him being born the place he was, and his household’s grand and memorable previous. He turns into obsessed by the thought of rescuing three princesses held captive by three multi-headed dragons that so troubles his mom.
Whereas nonetheless hardly greater than a tot, he declares he needs to take these dragons on right away.
His grandfather warns him that it’s going to take him one other seven years of being nursed by his mom’s milk and train earlier than he will likely be in a position to take action. ‘Attempt to shake that tree as soon as each single 12 months, and the stronger you turn into, the extra it can transfer.’
Seven years on, although, he’s suggested he’ll want an additional seven 12 months interval: ‘Then you definately’ll have the ability to shake the tree one-handed.’
We quick ahead to a completely grown Treeshaker, trying as Herculean as his mom now seems weak. She is about to die, however he’s now lastly able to embark on his quest.
He units out and firstly meets his brother Stonecrumbler, who, in flip introduces Treeshaker to a different brother, a blacksmith referred to as Irontemperer. They comply with be a part of forces to save lots of the princesses and vow to all the time keep collectively.
The trio are all able to nice feats of energy however it’s Treeshaker who’s essentially the most highly effective and the bravest. Though he’s additionally the youngest, he’ll lead his brothers on the mission, issuing orders and provoking them by his instance however their activity isn’t going to be straightforward to perform.
You’re seemingly not going to look at Son of the White Mare for its storyline. What makes this an actual deal with is Jankovics’ animation. That is fluid, generally playful and all the time attractive with a staggering consideration to element demonstrated all through. Some buildings have the distinct really feel of a Paul Klee townscape; a few of the faces are spherical and Picasso-esque, whereas one of many princesses might have been drawn by Aubrey Beardsley. However, not like his debut characteristic Johnny Corncob – which was closely indebted to the pop artwork of Peter Max and George Dunning’s Yellow Submarine – that is very a lot the imaginative and prescient of Marcell Jankovics.
Some have speculated that he and his animation staff will need to have experimented with LSD sooner or later whereas planning the film, however that is one thing he has all the time denied. This denial is simple to imagine as Communist period Hungary within the Seventies and ’80s was removed from Haight-Ashbury within the Sixties. Regardless of its trippy really feel, the artist was influenced by his personal goals fairly than any hallucinatory drug.
Is it the best psychedelic animated film ever made? I’m unsure, there’s a 1973 cult Japanese film Belladonna of Unhappiness that I’m very keen on too, however this can be a startling piece of artwork, which transfixed me from its starting proper by to its last body.
The animation is launched in Blu-ray for the primary time ever within the UK right here, introduced from a director accredited 4K restoration.
Extras embody a restricted version O-Card slipcase with the primary print-run of 2000 copies; Johnny Corncob (János Vitéz) – the primary ever Hungarian animated characteristic movie; Sisyphus – brief movie; The Battle (Küzdők) – brief movie; Goals on Wings – brief movie created as a industrial for Air India; Brighter Colours – intensive interview with Marcell Jankovics from the Hungarian Nationwide Movie Archive, filmed in 2020; Making of János Vitéz – archival featurette from 1973; The Director Talks – featurette with Jankovics and a collector’s booklet that includes a brand new essay by movie author Wealthy Johnson.
For extra on the discharge click on right here.
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All phrases by Jamie Havlin. Jamie has written a few brief movies screened on British TV and at worldwide festivals and he recurrently contributes to the glam rock fanzine Wired Up! Extra writing by Jamie may be discovered at his Louder Than Warfare writer’s archive.
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