Opisy(1)
One of Trnka's later works, The Archangel Gabriel and Mrs Goose is based on Boccaccio's Decameron. Trnka is at his comfort zone; Boccaccio's story and its play on the stupidity and shrewdness of the human mind offered him a suitable theme to work with. A clever impostor priest pretends to be the red-haired angel Gabriel in order to get to enjoy the delights of life in the bed of a dim-witted wife. Trnka's puppet animation stays true to Boccaccio. He captures the story into a smoothly rolling anecdote laced with black humour, giving its essence easy access to the spotlight. (Oulu International Children's and Youth Film Festival)
(więcej)Recenzje (2)
If a film can do without words and convey its thoughts and emotions through images, it is always a plus and a sign of creative invention and good craftsmanship. But in the case of Trnka, it is more than that, and it is not enough to say that he was able to rely on a well-known and strong literary source. Trnka processed the Decameron-like story to his own image, creating an original and distinct satirical work on the false morality of that time, hypocrisy, and the church's monopoly on education. Trnka does criticize the church strongly, but it has nothing to do with the then-official communist doctrine. His film is artistically embellished and truly represents the peak of his work in its own way. However, the difficulty lies in the fact that it is a film that requires focused attention and is at times abstract in its visual communication. It is appreciated by a minority of connoisseurs rather than the general audience. I most appreciate the sarcasm and attention to detail, where a single shot is enough to characterize a character and cleverly suggest what was happening behind the scenes. Overall impression: 95%.
()
I like Trnka's short film for its experimental approach, playing with traditional puppet animation as well as static illustration, or generally with visual art. Technically, it's clearly an interesting work, especially due to its almost silent execution. The animation itself sometimes feels a bit stiff, choppy, and skeletal to me. I'm not particularly fond of the blending of different styles, but that's a matter of personal taste. I won't be the only one who feels that way. This is very distinctive and at times quite peculiar. The plot is hard to follow.
()