Customer Reviews

Masters of Russian Animation: The Complete Works of Yuri Norstein [VHS]

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Yuri Norstein is arguably the single greatest animator of this century. Yet, most of us in the West have never heard of him. Norstein studied film under the great Russian filmmaker, Sergei Eisenstein, father of the montage and was a contemporary of Andrei Tarkovsky. Yet, unless you are a student of film, you probably have never heard of them either.

Genreations of great film works from Russia have been hidden from the general public. While I have had only glimpses of Norstein's works in the past and have been forever haunted by their erie beauty, I never thought there was enough interest for someone to put out a collection such as this. The producers have done an excellent job. The film-to-tape transfers are a huge improvement from even the old broadcast masters I remember which played on PBS (and introduced me to his works in the first place).

It is difficult to describe his style.Try to imagine a children's story book that moves, but you don't know if the "pictures" are drawings, photographs, or 3D. Everything seems to blend in and out of a pervasive fog. When you see these images for the first time, you cannot help but be awestruck. Then, while you are swooning over the lyricism of the montages, you look at the dates they were made, and then you can't move.

This is a must have for all lovers of animation. Norstein has the ability to create a magical world and it all comes from within. I can only say that seeing is believing.

For anyone who's doubted Amazon's depth of inventory, witness "Masters of Russian Animation". Until recently inaccessable to Westerners, Norstein - all these great animators, in fact - is a revelation. Such wonderful images and storytelling, such complex subjects. All this despite the amazing constraints under which the films were made. Really a treat.

Is it possible for someone out there to please produce a DVD of this video & other russian animation/film. It seem such a shame that so many people are thus far deprived of viewing this significant archive of Russian animation due to the format of the media. I once saw on UK tv a clip of a russian animation, which so captivated me by the stunning cartoon animation of an old man at a desk in candlelight superbly drawn in gold and dark tones.I am now trying to track it down and believe it may have been Tale of Tales. If anyone has any information regarding this title or other Russian animation available on DVD or VHS (UK format) i would be extremely grateful. email hootsholroyd@blueyonder.co.uk

Updating the above post on 17/8/06

I was very kindly informed by Ged Haney, who writes:

"I'm trying to get hold of this clip myself. But the film you are after is not Tale of Tales, it is The Overcoat, both by Yuri Norstein. However, The Overcoat is not yet completed (despite Norstein having worked on it since, I think, the early eighties). I have heard various reports ranging from, "He's given up,' to, 'He's almost finished.'

Sorry I can't be more helpful...

Cordially, Ged Haney
(Animator in Residence, Filmakademie Baden-Wurttemburg)

Recently i have managed to trace a couple of very short, low resolution clips from "The Overcoat" which can be viewed by clicking on the following links, or copy & paste if links are not active:
[...]

it's the most wonderful cartoons I've ever seen!