This blog entry is part of my “movie year countdown”. To read more about that check out my first Spout filmblog entry.
Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed (The Adventures of Prince Achmed)
The oldest surviving full length animated film, or so they say. Made by the German animator Lotte Reiniger with considerable technical assistance by her husband Carl Koch. The animation is essentially achieved by silhouettes of intricate moveable cardboard cut-outs. So the main moving figures themselves are all black outlines with some color and additional artwork in the background. Considering the resources and technology of the time the results are amazingly skillful. Despite what sounds like a fairly simplistic animation style, I think almost any modern viewer would still be captivated by the entire movie. Certainly this would be worth some interest to anyone who considers themselves a fan of any type of animated film.
Rating: 8/10