Poor "Pulcinella" just wants to be left to sleep, but his wife has other plans. He is turfed outside for his ablutions and taking a leak against a rather grand statue, finds himself pursued by the soldiers guarding it. He makes it home, just, climbs up onto the roof and resumes his slumbers, he hopes, in peace. Sadly, though, as Rossini's lively version of the story accompanies his dreams, he experiences a series of adventures that never see him escape from the soldiers or his wife. Nightmarish or what? I liked the abstract nature of the animation sequences and I also enjoyed the mischief in the characterisation of the man as he encounters just about everything - delivered ballet style - whilst simply trying to get some kip. He might be the laziest man in the village, but I did empathise and I also quite enjoyed this quirky and vivid ten minutes of quickly paced fun.
3 Reviews
Wonderful Story with Unique Animation
Hitchcoc19 October 2021
First of all, this is not the Stravinsky Pulcinella. It is Rossini and it tells the tale of a free spirit in a colorful ballet of life. A man is forced out of his bed by his humorless wife and sent on his way. He is supposed to sweep but ends up on a journey where he is on stage, meets demons, local soldiers, the depths of a volcano. It is so captivating.
The things that happen to a guy who just wants to sleep
llltdesq26 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This short was nominated for an Academy Award for Animated Short. There will be spoilers ahead:
The plot here is very simple-it's about the quest of one poor soul to simply sleep the day away. His wife nags him awake in the morning and chases him from the house.
He commits an indiscretion on a statue, attracting the attention of local constables and a merry chase ensues. The guy eventually goes back to his home to sleep on the roof. He starts dreaming and it rapidly turns into a surreal nightmare with all of his problems taking center stage, so to speak.
The bulk of the short is concerned with this dream/nightmare, with this poor guy being chased around by and fought over by the police and multiples of his wife. A root canal would be more appealing.
He wakes up when real life and the nightmare collide. He angers his wife (again) and winds up being chased by his wife around the house. Ultimately, there's a happy ending for the guy, though probably not for anyone else.
So far as I know, this isn't in print, but it can be found online and is well worth watching. Recommended.
The plot here is very simple-it's about the quest of one poor soul to simply sleep the day away. His wife nags him awake in the morning and chases him from the house.
He commits an indiscretion on a statue, attracting the attention of local constables and a merry chase ensues. The guy eventually goes back to his home to sleep on the roof. He starts dreaming and it rapidly turns into a surreal nightmare with all of his problems taking center stage, so to speak.
The bulk of the short is concerned with this dream/nightmare, with this poor guy being chased around by and fought over by the police and multiples of his wife. A root canal would be more appealing.
He wakes up when real life and the nightmare collide. He angers his wife (again) and winds up being chased by his wife around the house. Ultimately, there's a happy ending for the guy, though probably not for anyone else.
So far as I know, this isn't in print, but it can be found online and is well worth watching. Recommended.
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