Countless over the years have been those storytellers to make their variation on the legend of "The Pied Piper"; even Looney Tunes and Shrek have had their dalliances. It's perhaps a little surprising that there haven't been more discrete horror-oriented renditions, especially in film, as the tale certainly seems primed for it. Enter Czech filmmaker Jiri Barta, and his 1986 feature 'Krysar.' It's not even necessarily that Barta looked at the saga and said "here's what's missing"; rather, the art styles from which he drew inspiration are already bent toward what are customarily considered darker airs, and all the little decisions made along the way in shaping the picture invariably lent to boosting the most sinister side of a classic story. The result is incredibly rich and fascinating, and for both the brilliance of its craftsmanship and the grim vibrancy it gives the piece, this is unquestionably a must-see for one and all.
I would love precious little more than to explore every centimeter of the puppets and scenery that Barta created, for every last trace is flush with phenomenal, spellbinding detail. The character designs are recognizably humanoid, yet sculpted with precise exaggerations and minutiae that make them all seem a little alien. The fundamental architecture of the sets, interiors and exteriors, reflects a gnarled, whimsical geometry that's utterly captivating, and this and the art direction generally couldn't possibly be more fabulously imaginative. That live animals were used in part, and that the rodent puppets are the most lifelike of their kind here, contrast with all else that was meticulously crafted for the movie - only adding to the notably surreal viewing experience. All this is to say nothing of the predominant stop-motion animation with which 'Krysar' was made, a laborious process of love and skill that indeed made the production a lengthy one. Even in titles that are otherwise "live-action," stop-motion animation can be selectively employed to dazzling effect as the slightly stilted, unnatural movement activates the instinctual part of our brains that alerts at the possibility of Something Wrong; James Cameron's 1984 materpiece 'The terminator' is a stark example. As Barta uses the same method here amidst visuals that are already an intoxicating, somewhat nightmarish wonderland, the combination is nothing less than stellar, and riveting.
This is to say nothing of the invented language that characters speak, inessential to the communication of events but itself adding splendid flavor. Every effect employed is a joy; Vladimír Malík and Ivan Vít's cinematography, and Helena Lebdusková's editing, are smart and stunning in a manner that can be said of relatively few of their photographers and editors around the world. Barta's direction, his vision for the feature, is impeccable, and a boundless delight; Michael Kocáb's music may mostly stick to the background, but unmistakably contributes to the somber, entrancing ambience of the whole affair. Under all these conditions one may reasonably say that most any narrative would be absorbing, compelling, and superbly satisfying, yet even so Kamil Pixa conjured a treatment of "The Pied Piper" that ingeniously latches onto a cornucopia of magnificent fine points in the scene writing and the overall plot. Without any need at all for spoken dialogue Pixa and Barta shrewdly build out the world of the film, and the particulars of this version of Hamelin and its inhabitants; the telling is insidious and gloomy both as much for the dreary specifics written as foundation as for the spectacle that greets our eyes (and, yes, our ears). In every regard, even tiny facets of the picture that are tangential or secondary to the legend itself are a treasure - and the distinct conclusion to which this rendition is brought int he last minutes is truly outstanding. Lest there be any doubt that 'Krysar' deserves to be labeled as not just dark fantasy but downright horror, rest assured that our cravings for that most devilish of storytelling is absolutely fulfilled in these fifty-three minutes.
What more is there to say? There is a shortage of perfect movies in the world, and to be frank, this is one of them. Every element here is wonderfully striking, and there's unyielding value here that demands multiple viewings not just to look for details we may have missed before, but even simply to again take in all the exceptional details that were so awe-inspiring the first time around. The puppets and sets, the props, the effects, the animation, the music, the "language," the story - everything about 'Krysar' is exemplary, and each aspect in and of itself quite demands viewership. I could continue but I would only be talking in circles: this is a must-see, and that's all there is to it.
I would love precious little more than to explore every centimeter of the puppets and scenery that Barta created, for every last trace is flush with phenomenal, spellbinding detail. The character designs are recognizably humanoid, yet sculpted with precise exaggerations and minutiae that make them all seem a little alien. The fundamental architecture of the sets, interiors and exteriors, reflects a gnarled, whimsical geometry that's utterly captivating, and this and the art direction generally couldn't possibly be more fabulously imaginative. That live animals were used in part, and that the rodent puppets are the most lifelike of their kind here, contrast with all else that was meticulously crafted for the movie - only adding to the notably surreal viewing experience. All this is to say nothing of the predominant stop-motion animation with which 'Krysar' was made, a laborious process of love and skill that indeed made the production a lengthy one. Even in titles that are otherwise "live-action," stop-motion animation can be selectively employed to dazzling effect as the slightly stilted, unnatural movement activates the instinctual part of our brains that alerts at the possibility of Something Wrong; James Cameron's 1984 materpiece 'The terminator' is a stark example. As Barta uses the same method here amidst visuals that are already an intoxicating, somewhat nightmarish wonderland, the combination is nothing less than stellar, and riveting.
This is to say nothing of the invented language that characters speak, inessential to the communication of events but itself adding splendid flavor. Every effect employed is a joy; Vladimír Malík and Ivan Vít's cinematography, and Helena Lebdusková's editing, are smart and stunning in a manner that can be said of relatively few of their photographers and editors around the world. Barta's direction, his vision for the feature, is impeccable, and a boundless delight; Michael Kocáb's music may mostly stick to the background, but unmistakably contributes to the somber, entrancing ambience of the whole affair. Under all these conditions one may reasonably say that most any narrative would be absorbing, compelling, and superbly satisfying, yet even so Kamil Pixa conjured a treatment of "The Pied Piper" that ingeniously latches onto a cornucopia of magnificent fine points in the scene writing and the overall plot. Without any need at all for spoken dialogue Pixa and Barta shrewdly build out the world of the film, and the particulars of this version of Hamelin and its inhabitants; the telling is insidious and gloomy both as much for the dreary specifics written as foundation as for the spectacle that greets our eyes (and, yes, our ears). In every regard, even tiny facets of the picture that are tangential or secondary to the legend itself are a treasure - and the distinct conclusion to which this rendition is brought int he last minutes is truly outstanding. Lest there be any doubt that 'Krysar' deserves to be labeled as not just dark fantasy but downright horror, rest assured that our cravings for that most devilish of storytelling is absolutely fulfilled in these fifty-three minutes.
What more is there to say? There is a shortage of perfect movies in the world, and to be frank, this is one of them. Every element here is wonderfully striking, and there's unyielding value here that demands multiple viewings not just to look for details we may have missed before, but even simply to again take in all the exceptional details that were so awe-inspiring the first time around. The puppets and sets, the props, the effects, the animation, the music, the "language," the story - everything about 'Krysar' is exemplary, and each aspect in and of itself quite demands viewership. I could continue but I would only be talking in circles: this is a must-see, and that's all there is to it.