Creating surreal imagery from everyday objects, svankmajer investigates the emotional response that can be evoked from the. In the aliceinwonderland world of early 1970s communist czechoslovakia, it was an opportunity that turned into a nightmare, as the surrealist animator jan. This is alice jan svankmajer, 1988 by som joguines on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. Nobody who has seen even one of svankmajer s shorts is likely to doubt that the czech surrealist would make the definitive version of lewis carrolls alice s adventures in wonderland. Alice appears to be in her bedroom when a taxidermically stuffed rabbit comes to life and breaks out of its glass case. The last trick, food, punch and judy, the flat jabberwocky, dimensions of dialogue, down to the cellar and the ossuary. The czech jan svankmajer, who turns 80 later this year, is one of the greatest artists working in the film medium. In the alice inwonderland world of early 1970s communist czechoslovakia, it was an opportunity that turned into a nightmare, as the surrealist animator jan svankmajer tells me over biscuits and. Czech animator jan svankmajer is one of the most distinctive and influential of contemporary filmmakers. In this haven were created some of his bestknown works, including dimensions of dialog and alice, a dark and brooding adaptation of lewis carrolls alice in wonderland. Legendary filmmaker jan svankmajer needs your help to produce his final feature film titled insects. For example, when alice shrinks, she does not merely become smaller.
Jul 30, 2014 the czech jan svankmajer, who turns 80 later this year, is one of the greatest artists working in the film medium. Espanol alice 1988 jan svankmajer part 44 duration. In prague, a professorial puppet, with metal pincers for hands and an open book for a hat, takes a boy as a pupil. Everything is a cruel torment or joke to be played on you. Jan svankmajers films include dimensions of dialogue, food, alice, darkness light darkness. Alice trailer jan svankmajer 1988 neco z alenky fantrailer by lookingglassfilm. Svankmajer s alice remains true to the absurdity of carrolls original, but bears the stamp of his own distinctive style and obsessions. This isnt the kind of disc that will attract casual viewers in a. His work is absolutely breathtaking, surreal, inventive and extraordinary, encompassing everything that jan svankmajer, walerian borowczyk and the quay brothers would do subsequently. May 18, 2014 kristyna kohoutova in two images from alice, a 1988 film by the czech animator jan svankmajer. Its original czech title is neco z alenky, which means something from.
Jan svankmajer celebrity profile check out the latest jan svankmajer photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes. A comprehensive 3 dvd collection of shorts from acclaimed surrealist filmmaker jan svankmajer. Czech director jan svankmajer will use anything for his animation from traditional czech puppetry to cutout drawings to old tin cans, and from claymation to human actors. With his list of the ten best animated films, gilliam points us to one film, svankmajers stunning 1982 claymation short, dimensions of dialogue, writing. Jan svankmajer is a surrealist czech animator whose work has influenced tim burton, the brothers quay, and terry gilliam himself. Czech surrealist filmmaker jan svankmajer, who gained a reputation for his short subjects, makes his featurefilm debut with neco z alenky, a grotesque look. I interpreted this as being a recreation of svankmajer personal view of what a hell would look like. Pronunciation of jan svankmajer with 1 audio pronunciation, 1 sentence and more for jan svankmajer. As a leading member of the prague surrealist group, his work is linked to a rich avantgarde tradition and an uncompromising moral stance that brought frequent tensions with the authorities in the normalization years following the soviet invasion of czechoslovakia in. Opening in a determinedly familiar contemporary milieu a man emerging from a crowded prague subway is handed a map this film by the czech surrealist jan svankmajer soon moves into stranger.
The defining feature of stopmotion animation is the use of real world objects that. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the content this blog produces you can always follow so youll get notified when something new drops. Czech filmmaker jan svankmajer is probably best known in this country for alice, his fulllength animated version of lewis carrolls alice in wonderland. The bfi has put together a sumptuous collection of the czech surrealists endlessly experimental shorts. Alice, is a sinister adaptation of lewis carrolls alices adventures in wonderland 1865. Czech surrealist filmmaker jan svankmajer, who gained a reputation for his short subjects, makes his featurefilm debut with neco z alenky, a grotesque look into the darkest, wildest recesses of a childs mind. He is a selflabeled surrealist known for his animations and features, which have greatly influenced other artists such. Visions the cabinet of jan svankmajer tv episode 1984 imdb. Inspired by but not a straight adaptation of lewis carrolls classic wonderland story, alice is a dark, haunting, disturbing, and utterly brilliant film and one that is definitely not for children. After a background in black theater and puppetry, he made exclusively short films since the early sixties right up to the late eighties roughly half his working life becoming an undisputable master of the form. The film combines animation, puppetry, and live action to evoke a fantasylike quality while distorting these elements to create an ominous atmosphere. When the guardian asked terry gilliam to pick his ten favorite animated films, the director included dimensions of dialogue, a 1982 short by jan svankmajer. Jan svankmajer the complete short films 5 out of 5 stars. The first fulllength film by the irreplaceable czeck animatordirector jan svankmajer, alice is filled with stunning visuals although, as with most of svankmajers work, these visuals do.
Cutlery, skulls, and eggsthey all twitter across the screen possessed. First, the professor empties fluff and toys from the childs head, leaving him without the top of his head for most of the film. Jan svankmajer the complete short films dvd bfi 3 dvd. The movies czech title, neco z alenky, translates as something from alice. The work of jan svankmajer is a collaboration of surrealistic imagery in the realms of magic and alchemy which induces a nightmarish spectre created from the usage of. Cutlery, skulls, and eggsthey all twitter across the screen possessed completely with a life of their own, a life that svankmajer has bestowed upon them. Lewis carroll, with whom he considers himself to be mentally on the same side of the river. In an interview given to a british film journal, he characterized carrolls book as a pure example of an infantile dream. Bruno solarik, the author of the book, takes part in the activities of a group of surrealists with the artist and director, and presents, by means of svankmajers opinions and creations, a complete testimony of the exceptional work of this world legend of. When i think of jan svankmajers work, it is always a cacophony of flashing, twitching images, and caustic sounds. Film jan svankmajer the complete short films into film. That one of these shorts and one of the three documentaries also included in the box. This narrative publication maps the creative principles of worldrenowned surrealist jan svankmajer.
The box designs are rather plain and the dull green of the packaging is not all that eyepleasing. Alice, is a sinister adaptation of lewis carrolls alice s adventures in wonderland 1865. Popular videos jan svankmajer jan svankmajer topic. It is a loose adaptation of lewis carrolls first alice book, alice s adventures in wonderland 1865, about a girl who follows a white rabbit into a bizarre fantasy land. The professor then teaches the lad about illusions and perspectives, the pursuit of an object. The surreal animations of jan svankmajer good short films. He is a selflabeled surrealist known for his animations and features, which have greatly influenced other artists such as terry gilliam, the brothers quay, and many others. Kristyna kohoutova in two images from alice, a 1988 film by the czech animator jan svankmajer. It is a loose adaptation of lewis carrolls first alice book, alices adventures in wonderland 1865, about a girl who follows a white rabbit into a bizarre fantasy land. According to gilliam, the czech directors stopmotion animations are characterized by a disturbing, nightmarish atmosphere that springs from a particular use of everyday and common objects in unexpected ways. The flat or i like to call it man gets beaten and starved for trying to look at tiddies.
Svankmajers alice remains true to the absurdity of carrolls original, but bears the stamp of his own distinctive style and obsessions. Alice 1988 por jan svankmajer legendado ptbr by h2only4. When alice shrinks, the girl is played by an antique doll. Biography and works summary utilizing visual representations. A comparative analysis of alice in wonderland 1951 and svankmajer s alice 1989. Dec 05, 2011 in the alice inwonderland world of early 1970s communist czechoslovakia, it was an opportunity that turned into a nightmare, as the surrealist animator jan svankmajer tells me over biscuits and. Rent jan svankmajer movies and tv shows on dvd and bluray.
Camilla power rivisita le storie classiche di lewis carroll alice nel paese delle meraviglie e attraverso. The first fulllength film by the irreplaceable czeck animatordirector jan svankmajer, alice is filled with stunning visuals although, as with most of svankmajer s work, these visuals do not always produce delight in the viewer. Dimensions of dialogue by jan svankmajer 1982 open culture. Jul 06, 2008 this is a scene from a very trippy, very amazing movie based on lewis carolls alice in wonderland. Its original czech title is neco z alenky, which means something from alice. Films include moznosti dialogu, neco z alenky, and tma, svetlo, tma. Kino and kimstims dvd of the collected shorts of jan svankmajer is a 2disc set, with the fourteen short subjects handsomely transferred.
Faust 1994 is the first feature film directed by jan svankmajer after the. Alice is a 1988 dark fantasy film written and directed by jan svankmajer. Nobody who has seen even one of svankmajers shorts is likely to doubt that the czech surrealist would make the definitive version of lewis carrolls alices adventures in wonderland. This is a scene from a very trippy, very amazing movie based on lewis carolls alice in wonderland. This is his last film, after the tale of the fox from 1930. Directed by keith griffiths, stephen quay, timothy quay.
Czech surrealist filmmaker jan svankmajer, who gained a reputation for his short subjects, makes his featurefilm debut with neco z alenky, a grotesque look into the darkest, wildest recesses of a. Visions the cabinet of jan svankmajer tv episode 1984. Alice trailer jan svankmajer 1988 neco z alenky fantrailer. Alice 1988 jan svankmajer synopsis, characteristics. I particularly liked this scene because it brought back a lot of childhood memories, as i used. Jan svankmajers alice released on dvd the new york times. A comparative analysis of alice in wonderland 1951 and svankmajers alice 1989. Jan svankmajer, the czech master of animation, has fulfilled a lifetime ambition in this personal interpretation of lewis carrolls alice in wonderland. Film profile for jan svankmajer, director, born 4 september 1934. Dimensions of dialogue 1982 by saras grafos on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people.