The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962)

Very affective fantasy world with great colors. This movie wouldn't be anything without Karel Zeman. He brings the story to life with his interesting animation mixed with the filmed material. I can't say that the movie is all good or the best of Zeman, but you really can rest your eyes on the screen. Gilliam's version of the story is possibly a little better, but as these are so different, you can't really compare.Zeman's Sinbad the Sailor short films are much more important to me than this one. Their story is more interesting and the animation even more fun. Anyways..this movie is about a mysterious Baron who have been through all the exciting adventures and he tells about them.

In effect, the other commentary of this movie says everything that could be say for this excellent movie. I want to say that this movie and "On the comet (Na komete) are two of the best animation movies that I ever saw. I saw this movie in 35 mm at "Cinemateca Uruguayan" because there was playing a Karel Zeman's homage, but I think that it's necessary to review this classics films and to get it on VHS or DVD. Zeman is a genius director with the mix of animated stop-motion frames and people, filming in studios or in natural locations and also drawing over the negative, painting it, all the technics are used with masterly.

Zeman created a hugely imaginative version of the Munchausen story; he is a visualist along the lines of Georges Melies ("A Trip To the Moon") who, through his elaborate matte and composite shots, points the way to the boundless digital worlds of Lucas's "The Phantom Menace." Despite Zeman's trippy whimsy and resourcefulness with special effects, the film is mostly unengaging, due to slack direction and detached performances. The strongest elements are an exciting horseback chase sequence carried by a rousing score, and the Baron's perpetually pathological optimism, which is central to the story and acts as a hilarious counterpoint to the fantastic events in which he finds himself. Despite the film's faults, it has to be appreciated for Zeman's distinctive overall style, and how it must reflect the artistic sensibility of its day in Eastern Europe. (Interesting observation: the eerie Theremin chords which permeate the scene by the steamboat recall the same device used a few years later on the extraterrestrial sets on "Star Trek.") Zeman's style is said to be an influence on the work of Terry Gilliam (seen most sharply in his "Monty Python" cut-out animation). As far as comparing Gilliam's 1989 version of "Munchausen" to Zeman's, Gilliam's is definitely superior: more hedonistically fantastic, entertaining, and fun. For all of Zeman's craftsmanlike wonders, his version is indeed rickety in comparison, but must be admired for the heights of fantasy it reached with the considerably more limited resources available to him.

Unfortunately, I was only able to see the Czech version one time. But it made a lasting impression on me and I've been looking for it ever since but just can't seem to get my hands on it. It's elusive, but well worth searching out. I thought I had it once at a rental store, only to find out it was the 1943 Nazi version and it just didn't capture the surrealism that the 1961 Czech version did. When Terry Gilliam's version came out in 1988, it disappointed in comparison as well.So, if you liked the 1988 remake, you owe it to yourself to see the Czech version - if you can get your hands on it!