The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)

Although Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is lauded as the first full-length animated film, that honor more properly belongs to The Adventures of Prince Achmed, which predates it by more than a decade. (There may be even earlier full-length works, but Achmed seems to be the earliest that can be verified -- and that is still in existence.) Achmed differs significantly from Snow White in several respects, of course, most notably in that it 1) is a silent film, 2) is in black-and-white (although existing prints are tinted), and 3) is created using silhouette animation. The last quality is the one that is the most striking and that makes it so unique; although director Lotte Reiniger and other animators have used this style elsewhere, it is still rare, and it makes Achmed a very unusual experience. Those used to traditional animation may be put off by this style, but it is incredibly striking and very dramatic. It must be admitted that one loses something in the way of nuance, but the unique beauty of the piece helps to make up for this. The care and detail that has gone into the design, from the airy featheriness of Peri Banu's cloak to the web-like delicacy of the Princess' shawl, is quite impressive. Reiniger also comes up with some marvelous character designs, and a shape-shifting battle between the Fire Witch and her enemy is a wonder to behold. Portions of the narrative are a tad choppy, and there's a flaw in terms of how much time passes during the telling of the story; more importantly, the story doesn't enthrall the viewer in the way it is intended to. But all in all, Achmed is a delightful little treasure. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide