The Adventures of Prince Achmed
 
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The Adventures of Prince Achmed (2029)

Lotte Reiniger (Director), Carl Koch (Director) | Rated: NR | Format: DVD
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews) |

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Product Details

  • Directors: Lotte Reiniger, Carl Koch
  • Format: Black & White, DVD, Full Screen, Silent, NTSC
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: NR (Not Rated)
  • Studio: Image Entertainment
  • DVD Release Date: December 3, 2002
  • Run Time: 67 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B0000714B2
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,451 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

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  • Learn more about "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" on IMDb

Special Features

  • "Lotte Reiniger: Homage to the Inventor of the Silhouette Film," a 60-minute documentary written and directed by Katja Raganelli
  • 1921 animated advertising trailer by Lotte Reiniger
  • Still gallery
  • Optional voice-over narration soundtrack

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The oldest extant animated feature, The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) was made by Lotte Reiniger using the silhouette technique she invented. Reiniger manipulated cutouts made from cardboard and thin sheets of lead under the camera to create an Arabian Nights world of delicate, filigree backgrounds and intricately jointed figures. With the assistance of Aladdin, the Witch of the Fiery Mountain, and a magic horse, the title character battles the evil African sorcerer to win the hand of Princess Peri Banu. Working from surviving nitrate prints, German and British archivists have lovingly restored the film: the backgrounds are tinted in delicate pastels rather than the black and white of previously available versions. Included with the film is Katja Raganelli's pretty documentary on Reiniger, which erroneously insists Prince Achmed was the first animated feature "in the history of cinema." Unrated: suitable for ages 8 and older; minor violence. --Charles Solomon

Product Description

The first full-length animated film is still hailed as an enchanting masterpiece and one of the great classics: beautiful, mesermizing, and utterly seductive! Director Lotte Reiniger creates pure cinematic magic with her hand-cut silhouettes and, with her elegant and intricate designs, brings characters vividly to life with a rare lyrical quality. Taken from "The Arabian Nights," the film tells the story of a wicked sorcerer who tricks Prince Achmed into mounting a magical flying horse which sends the rider off on a flight to his death. But the prince foils the evil plan and soars headlong into a series of wondrous adventures, joining forces with Aladdin and the Witch of the Fiery Mountains, doing battle with the sorcerer's army of monsters and demons, and falling in love with the bautiful Princess Peri Banu. Beautifully restored with its spectacular original color tinting and featuring a new orchestral recording of the magnificent original score, this dazzling adventure will enthrall children and film enthusiasts of all ages.

Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
For once there is no ambiguity: "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" is definitely the first feature length animated cartoon. Working in a converted garage, Reininger and her two assistants (one of whom specialized in magical soap bubble effects!) took three years to complete "Achmed." The film was a success, but for whatever reason Reininger spent the rest of her long career making shorts and advertisements (that I've never seen-hint, hint, Milestone). You might think, Hoo boy, an hour of nothing but black silhouettes on white. But give the film half a chance (especially in this magnificently colored restoration, with wonderful musical accompaniment) and I guarantee you'll be hooked. The complex tale of Achmed, his beloved, the wicked Magician, the kindly and powerful Ogre, the magical flying horse, and all the other characters are animated in a fantastically expressive manner, and the film moves at a breathless but comprehensible pace. This is one you'll come back to.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This movie is based on the Middle Eastern classic Arabian Nights . The Arabian tapestry is felt in genuine form in Lotte's interpretation. In fact Lotte is very talented when it comes to conjuring up a particular time and place in her other works as well. Lotte is a master of creating a dreamy, hypnotic, universe, out of jointed silhouettes. The moving objects morph perfectly into complex shapes, a magnificent bird into a spellbound woman, a magical palace out of fallen stars. The movie is entrancing, beautiful, and ethereal, not just for the time it was made, but even when you watch it now. There is a mood of fairy tales, other worldly, creativity and a genuine success at telling a story, with paper for crying out loud! After watching this animation, the visions will linger behind your sight like a soft daydream glow of a memory. If you are a current day animator the results of Lotte's work considering her limited technology, will blow your mind. If you are not an animator, this movie, will blow your mind. Lotte is an integral part of cinematic history. I have a more extensive and lengthy version of this review at my animation blog site here: http://maxanimation.blogspot.com/2005/04/prince-achmed.html which you are invited to visit, read and comment on.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Beautiful Animation from 1926 September 30, 2002
Format:VHS Tape
A silent animated film created in 1926 by German artist Lotte Reiniger. Considered to be the first full-length animated feature at 65 minutes, what makes this so special is not the story, but the animation itself which sets itself apart from anything tradional or even experimental Disney has done in their youth. All the characters and sets are done in silhouette from paper cut outs with hinges to manipulate the peoples actions. The result is an incredible and unique look that has never been matched before or since. Reineger certainly has her work cut out for her as she mastered this format throughout the rest of her career. In this video, in addition to the main feature which is a story from the Arabian Nights, is also a commercial Reineger did for the German creme company, as well as a 60-minute documentary on Lottes life. The documentary is bit slow, but it does display many of her other works, equally obscure and beautiful. If you are interested in classic cinema or animation, then by all means, you really should see this. While watching this, I am surprised that Disney showed no signs of influence in their early experimental stages. Highly reccomended classic!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Surprisingly entertaining and dramatic silent animated film!
The Adventures of Prince Achmed is a German film of the silent era, the oldest surviving animated feature film. Read more
Published 3 months ago by J. F. McCausland
Animation before Disney
From 1926 this is what animation could have been.

Unlike the processes later used in the United States and the Soviet Union for example, this feature length animation is... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Steve Reina
Make This DVD Available Again!!!
This film is quite visually wonderful to behold; I wish I'd found the film sooner. Imaginative, with gorgeous design work, this is a beautiful work of art. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Severian
Dazzling Adventure
Lotte Reiniger's epic adventure classic is so good and so mesmerizing that you will soon forget that you are only looking at stop-motion silhouettes. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Jonathan
Insane
Today we sit and watch movies like Avatar and wonder, how did they do that? and this is the 1926 version of that level of technical achievement. Read more
Published 12 months ago by The book lady
Animated classic
This beautiful German animated classic created from intricately cut paper is definitely worth owning. A welcome alternative to the sea of Disney dreck.
Published on March 13, 2010 by Augusta Palmer
The magic lamp of animation blazes brightly
After watching this animated film from 1926, which was completely new to me, I knew that I had seen a true work of art. Read more
Published on January 8, 2010 by William Timothy Lukeman
Done again, but never done better
Prince Achmed captures more, in simple black-and-white cutouts, than others ever did with a whole palette. Read more
Published on April 22, 2008 by wiredweird
Mesmerizing!
If you've never seen it, you probably can't imagine how a silent movie of animated silhouettes could be anything but dull.

If you have seen it, you know better. Read more
Published on January 15, 2007 by narkspud
The oldest surviving animated feature film
Visiting last week the exhibition," The Société Anonyme: Modernism for America" at Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, I was very lucky to watch as a part of the... Read more
Published on January 2, 2007 by Galina
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