TALES OF THE NIGHT Delights With Tales of Whimsy And Adventure
I'm not a parent. Nor do I play one on TV. This isn't to say that I wouldn't know what to do with a kid. I'm an uncle, after all, and I've been around children long enough to know that - when properly nurtured - their imaginations are boundless. Each holiday season at a workplace children's event, I'm amazed at how quickly the boys and girls rush to the craft table for a chance to play and putter with glues, crayons, and stencils. They'll rejoice in fashioning together the most modest gifts that they take home to give to mom or dad or a neighbor. As I watch, I can see how committed they are to building something, making it sparkle, and bringing it to life in their own unique ways. And I'm amazed at how many parents sit beside their children experiencing much the same.
After watching TALES OF THE NIGHT, I'd imagine director Michel Ocelot lives his life much the same way as those children, embracing his insatiable desire to weave fairy tales of magic, mayhem, and...
Lights, Action, and....Glorious Color
This film is a continuation of Michel Ocelot's "Princes et Princesses". Both offer a selection of six short, brilliantly colored fairy tales in the style of The Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen. The tales share a theme where the obvious choice of the hero or heroine is not the correct one...instead the right choice must be made from the heart, wisdom, and compassion.
It is a matter of taste, but the story set in Africa was the most unusually beautiful and the one set in Tibet was the most conventionally pretty. I found no appreciable difference in visual quality between the Blu Ray and the DVD. What I have to discuss is the choice of voice options. There are three - English dubbed, French original, and French with subtitles. My strong recommendation is French WITHOUT subtitles...even for younger children. Why so? The English version is spoken by untalented actors - like most dubbed films. And the subtitles for the French version interfere with the visuals...
Simple, Yet Visually Dynamic, Animation Showcases Six Short Stories For Older Kids And Adults
While I know that the French animated import "Tales of the Night" is marketed toward a younger audience, I think that a slightly older crowd is more likely to appreciate the film's simpler charms. Director Michel Ocelot has mastered a shadow play style of animation that gives this film a distinctly unique feel compared to more frantic entries of the day. The film is comprised of six short stories, each with a specific color palette over which the shadow figures enact the drama of the tale. The stories themselves don't always break new ground thematically, but they have pleasing moral centers and positive messages. The approach, however, might appear somewhat subdued to kids reared on quick-cut editing, manic energy, and blaring soundtracks. It is a more mature audience, therefore, who will probably connect with the leisurely vibe and the visual beauty of the piece. The film is gorgeous to look at, with the Blu-ray really allowing the contrast of colors to pop!
The six...
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