****
Directed by Siegfried Hartmann, Gottfried Kolditz, Walter Beck, Konrad Petzold, Egon Günther.
Starring Pavel Trávníeček, Hans-Peter Minetti, Erik S. Klein, Eva-Maria Hagen.
Fantasy, East Germany, 373 Minutes, Certificate 12.
Released on Limited Edition Blu-ray by Eureka Entertainment on October 19th.
In case you were wondering what the German term for cinematic adaptations of folk and fairytales was, it is Märchenfilme. I only know this because of the work that the folk at Eureka Entertainment have done in excavating lesser known gems of film from around the world and presenting them in nicely presented Blu-ray boxsets, as they did with their first volume of Märchenfilme (it’s one of those words that once you know it, you can’t stop saying it. Sorry!) with INTO THE FOREST: FOLKTALES AT DEFA. Collecting a bunch of films made from the nineteen fifties to the late eighties, these Märchenfilme were produced by the prolific studio DEFA, and were loved not only in their country but later on in a reunified Germany towards the end of the century. Now, we have been treated to a second volume of these strange and singular films that provide a fresh perspective on tales that we have all known since childhood.
This set concentrates on adaptations of tales from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. It is the latter author whose tale THE TINDERBOX kicks things off in this set. Its tale of a young soldier procuring the titular item from a witch he encounters in the forest and gaining vast wealth is a charming affair. Not least for its lo-fi, but all the more charming, special effects, mainly in presenting three dogs as giant beasts who carry sacks of gold, silver and later on a sleeping princess to our hero's door. A zippy little film, it is nicely presented in this remaster that captures its colourful AGFA film look beautifully. Presented in the eighties on BBC2 as part of a strand of European folk tales, the dubbed English version is also included on this disc.
Following this is the more familiar tale of SNOW WHITE. At just over an hour long, we race through the tale of the young girl who moves in with seven underground miners after her stepmum tries to have her killed. Again the style and vintage colours of the film shine through, making this an easy and charming, if slightly unmemorable watch. This second disc also presents the lesser known tale, to me anyway, of SNOW WHITE AND ROSE RED. Directed by Siegfried Hartmann, who also directed THE TINDERBOX, this is a completely different film in terms of style from the previous films here. Released in 1978, this production moves away from the evocative sets at DEFA, to film on location by the lakes and the wintry woods to tell its tale of an angry dwarf who menaces the sisters who have just been romanced by a pair of handsome princes. Things kick into gear when the princes are turned into a kestrel, which is real, and a bear, which is not as you can tell by the spectacularly unconvincing bear costume. Very much a product of its time, this is a much more fun and memorable film than its predecessor with its fuzz guitar soundtrack, beautiful cinematography and that bear costume which just gets more and more awesome the more you look at it.
The third and final disc contains the 1987 adaptation of THE FROG KING. With its mix of memorable location work and a truly impressive underground mountain set, this tale of a spoilt princess hastily promising her hand in marriage to an ugly and demanding frog contains other memorable elements. Most notably the impressive stop motion animation employed to bring the frog to life. Fans of retro fantasy, such as Jim Henson’s series THE STORYTELLER may find much more to admire here in this nicely realised tale of self-discovery and true love.
This set of films comes to a close with THE ROBE, an adaptation of Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes. This film stands out in terms of style and storytelling, completely different from the films that have come before it. Filmed in 1961, but then shelved for political reasons and unreleased until 1991, this tale of two weavers sneaking into a walled off city, only to encounter the wrath of a despotical ruler who demands them to make the finest costume to present himself to his subjects in, is a satirical allegory. Despite its interesting production history, this is the least satisfying film of the bunch here. Perhaps a case of humour suffering through translation, the film is a bit of a chore to sit through with its repetitive scenes, mugging performances and “zany” animated interludes, including one bizarre instance of two cats chatting each other up, then having loud sex, thankfully offscreen.
Filmwise, this is a little bit of a mixed bag, especially to Western audiences who do not have the benefit of nostalgia that the films carry for older audiences in Germany. However, the extras presented here tip this over into making the handsomely presented boxset a worthy purchase. Audio commentaries for THE TINDERBOX and THE ROBE provide much needed context to the films while Rachel Palfreyman, in an illuminating and fascinating interview, provides even more context on all of the films and DEFA itself, explaining the socialist and progressive attitudes that can be found within these films, providing a fascinating counterpart to their Western adaptations. Perhaps most of interest however is the inclusion of a number of vintage stop motion animations of Beauty and the Beast, The Fisherman and His Wife and again The Emperor’s New Clothes.
Connoisseurs and enthusiasts of this type of storytelling will no doubt find much to admire here. The less curious however will also be rewarded with a number of unique films that present their otherwise familiar tales in less familiar ways as well as being visually memorable. This is a more than worthwhile set that demands to be dug into and enjoyed. It is also a great example of world cinema that for too long has gone completely unnoticed over here.
Iain MacLeod