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DVD Les contes de la nuit
 Run time: 84 min Rating: 6.7 Genres: Animation | Fantasy Director: Michel Ocelot Writers: Michel Ocelot Stars: Julien Beramis, Marine Griset, Michel Elias |
| Storyline Tales of the Night weaves together six exotic fables each unfolding in a unique locale, from Tibet, to medieval Europe, to the Land of the Dead. From the imagination of internationally renowned animator Michel Ocelot. |
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| Details: Country: France Release Date: 25 May 2012 (UK) |
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| Box Office Opening Weekend: $7,154 (USA) (28 September 2012) Gross: $10,975 (USA) (28 September 2012) |
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To any one reading "I wonder what kids will think of this. Because they might be the main target audience for this." and wondering the same. I can say that in the showing I saw there were a lot of kids and many French kids. No one was talking, everyone in the room was taken in and concentrating – no one left for the toilet – the only time there was any movement or sound was when the kids (and adults) were laughing with joy – especially at the "tom-tom magie". Each story contained morels and some potentiality tough subject matter for children, but in a well balanced way. I saw a subtitled version – that was not 3D. A beautiful story for beautiful people of any age.
Ocelot's toons have always had the unfamiliar (African) imagery working for them. Their naive plot lines have been both an attraction and a limitation.
This episode film, framed with sessions in the re-voicing studio – where an owl is perched on the desk – are not a step towards more traditional work.
The recognisable Ocelot style is here mixed with a bit of Lotte Reiniger and boosted by a fascinating use of Three D, which spaces the arms and eyes of the outline crowd at different distances from the viewer, among other effects. Was it ever shown anywhere else but the Paris Champs Elysses that way? Whether the makers can take this style further and how it will go down with the tot audiences, I've seen cheer the Kirikou films, has yet to be seen.
The film breaks into six separate adventures.
Night of the Werewolf. Being a prince and a werewolf in the 15th century. Happy ending on this one; murderous deceit receives justice instead of monetary reward.
Jon Jon and Beauty Not Knowing. On a Caribbean island, Jon Jon explores a deep cave which is the country of the dead. The only other living being is the princess whose name is Beauty Not Knowing. Jon Jon befriends the 3 monsters he was warned to kill. The father of the princess sets him three tasks. The 3 monsters help him through the final tests. Jon Jon goes back to his girl friend in the land of the living.
The City of Gold. The Boy saves The Girl from being a human sacrifice, but at a cost.
Tom-Tom Boy. Set in a village in the African bush. Everyone in the village tells Tom-Tom Boy to learn something useful, and to get lost in the meantime. He saves an old man's life out in the wild. This man is the custodian of the magic tom-tom, 'whose rhythms no one can resist.' He plays for the custodian, who teaches him to do more with it.
The Boy Who Never Lied. Set in Tibet. Two king each wager half their kingdoms on whether or not the Boy can be made to lie. The princess volunteers to help her father get the Boy to lie. The Boy's horse speaks; the princess' mare can sing. The lying princess acts sick, and claims that she must eat the heart of his talking horse. The horse, Melonge, gives up his life so that his heart can be claimed. The Boy serves up the heart, but the princess leaves with the heart untouched. Ah, sadness. But the Boy and his king are rewarded, and the princess admits the vileness of what she has done.
The Young Doe and the Architect's Son. Zachariac, the sorcerer, has a young ward, Maud, who falls in love with the architect's son, Thibault. Thibault climbs Zachariac's dread tower to rescue Maud. He encourages her to agree to marry Zachariac, with the understanding that Thibault will interrupt the process before it is complete. Thibault and Maud escape via a secret trapdoor in the cathedral. Zachariac renounces Maud, and changes her into a doe who only runs from Thibault. Thibault and his father's friend find the palace of a fairy ally of the architect. Can the complete the resolution?
—–Scores——-
Art/Animation: 10/10 Though only in one style, wonderful throughout.
Sound: 10/10 No problems. Liked the incidental music.
Acting: 10/10 Beautifully voiced.
Screenplay: 10/10 Difficult and wonderful.
If someone were to ask if I recommended Tales of the Night, the answer would be yes. It is a very simple film and doesn't break new ground from a thematic perspective. That doesn't matter because so much of the movie is beautifully done. The animation makes for a visual treat, not just the shadowy silhouettes for the character designs and the drama being conveyed but also the backgrounds with the gloriously vivid colours. The music doesn't overbear what's happening in the six featured stories, as well as being sensitive, lushly orchestrated and lyrical it allows the stories to speak for themselves. And speak for themselves they do, the moralising, positive messaging and lessons do not preach and are ones that anybody young and old can relate fully to as well as being important values. There is an Aesop's Fables feel at times especially in The Werewolf, not that that it is an issue, far from it. And the stories do have great atmosphere while never trying to be too complicated, The Boy Who Never Lied and Boy Tam-Tam are somewhat graphic yet magical. Personal favourite has to go to The Doe Girl and the Architect's Son, which contains the best animation of the film and is quite poignant. The characters don't break new ground either but they have a real charm to them and carry their stories very well. In fact, if there was anything that wasn't quite right it was the old-theatre-and-re-enacting links, not a bad idea but at times clumsily handled. Other than that, Tales of the Night is a very good film indeed. 9/10 Bethany Cox