Breakinger
A Brilliant Conflict
TaryBiggBall
It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.
Merolliv
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
cwaters80
You might think that the world's oldest existing animated feature would be primitive and crude, but Reiniger's Prince Achmed is stunning and ageless.The stills do not do it justice, you have to watch it in motion to see how much work and love Reiniger & co. put into it. The film is immaculately detailed, touching, and wonderfully brought to life with delicate movements that say so much using so little. If you see this with a good score, it is a very pleasurable experience indeed.This is not just for scholars of animation, it stands on its own two feet as a work of real beauty, even in the modern world. Its mature and stylised visuals make it still feel fresh today, in the same way that good classical music does. It stands outside time, moments of wonder captured forever.Highly recommended.
wes-connors
This "silhouette animation" film is, presently, the earliest available feature-length animated motion picture to have survived deterioration and/or loss. A restored version was re-released in 1999, in Germany, and a US production company commissioned a new musical score in 2001 - presumably to replace the original's lost soundtrack. Following restored credits, the story's main "silhouette" characters are introduced. "The Magician" is a powerful and ugly African villain who is looking for a beautiful young mate. "Dinarsade" is the pretty princess he desires. Our hero "Achmed" is her brave and handsome brother. "Peri Banu" is the beautiful young woman Achmed meets on his adventures. "Aladdin" is the famous holder of the magic lamp. "The Witch" is a natural enemy of the likewise powerful and ugly Magician...The Magician uses a flying horse to trick Dinarsade's father into giving his daughter away. "The Caliph" promises any of his possessions in return for the flying house, and, of course, The Magician chooses Dinarsade. Achmed tries to save his sister, but he is tricked into flying away on the magical horse. Due to trouble navigating, Achmed gets lost in a place called "Wak-Wak". The community is inhabited by women and demons. Several of the women are smitten by Achmed. They smother him with kisses, but Achmed runs away while they fight over him. He then hides to watch Peri Banu and her girlfriends undress and bathe. To ensure maximum viewing pleasure, Achmed steals Peri Banu's feathered clothing. He abducts the frightened and naked woman - but don't worry; he's handsome, so it's all right...If this were not all happening in "silhouette animation," there would be a restrictive (R) rating on this film. The erotic scenes are presented very well, though, and viewers of all ages and development can fill in the shadows with imagination. What does not impress is the obvious sexism; it is present in most fairy tales and fables, but the gender of this film's creator invites speculation about the strong use of stereotypes in this story. Still, animation pioneer Lotte Reiniger is technically brilliant. Taking years (1923-1926) to cut out and commit her shadowy characters to film, Ms. Reiniger gives her puppets an enduring artistic style. Reiniger's husband Carl Koch was the foremost crew person and cinematographer. Her work spanned decades, and it would be nice to see a representative collection of Reiniger's most impressive animation.******* The Adventures of Prince Achmed/ Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed (7/2/26) Lotte Reiniger, Carl Koch
Eumenides_0
Lotte Reiniger's 1926 The Adventures of Prince Achmed is cinema's oldest known animated feature. If that's not enough to give it a place in the history of cinema, it's also a technically-brilliant movie. Reiniger developed a silhouette technique of using paper cut-outs lit against glass. The effect is beautiful, especially in the way the black silhouettes contrast against the vivid background colours. I've only ever seen a movie with a similar effect: Karel Zeman's The Fabulous Baron Munchausen.This is also a lovely, fast-paced story that draws a lot from The Arabian Nights and so is full of fantasy: princes, princesses, genies, spirits, flying cities, flying horses, witches, sorcerers, etc. The most notable influence is, of course, the figure of Aladdin and his magic lamp. The brave Prince Achmed fights an evil sorcerer to save the life of Princess Peri Banu, from the magical Wak-Wak Island. Along the way he meets allies and faces all kinds of challenges. In the end, of course, bravery and love prevail.The story sounds very predictable to modern audiences, but its charm and elegance is timeless. In the end, the story is just a vehicle for Reiniger to explore the possibilities of this new animated technique she created, and I'd say she did a wonderful job. This is a movie for the ages, one of those pearls that cinema needs to rediscover quickly.
igloocookie
As humble as some of it may appear, Lotte Reiniger's "Adventures of Prince Achmed" is a vibrant visual treat despite what many may label as simple shadow puppets. The cut-outs are brilliantly intricate and very well manipulated. I find it amazing that characters with no eyes or interior ornateness can contain so much character. Reinger certainly knows how to manipulate her little performers for maximum effectiveness. The story is fast and fun. Let's face it "Prince Achmed's" got it all: princes, princesses, travel, castles, evil wizards, flying horses, witches, genies, magic, monsters, demons, shape-shifting showdowns (that were totally reused in Disney's "The Sword in the Stone), and so much more. I absolutely loved this movie. This definitely a must-see for anyone into film history, animation, or just marvelous adventure and fantasy. I highly recommend this little flick.it is sure not to disappoint.
