Director – Karel Zeman – 1961 – Czechoslovakia – Cert. U – 85m
*****
Available on Blu-ray/DVD and now on BFI Player too.
This capsule review originally appeared in Reform in 2017 as part of a wider Watch And Talk review roundup.
Using not only live action but also every form of animation you can imagine, the 1961 Czech fantasy The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (BD/DVD, cert U, 85 mins) puts the infamous teller of tall tales in the company of a rational astronaut he meets on the moon for a series of improbable adventures. It’s a charming and delightful piece of escapism and a visual marvel from start to finish.
Director Karel Zeman has probably come closer than anyone to filming the equivalent of a moving woodcut and the whole thing is highly inventive throughout, challenging the very idea of what a film might look and feel like. Children and adults alike will be entranced. For good measure, the disc includes a documentary in which students try to recreate some of the film’s spectacular special effects.
Trailer here:
This capsule review originally appeared in Reform in 2017 as part of a wider Watch And Talk review roundup.