The Tale of the Fox/Le Roman de Renard:
Release Date: Germany: April 10, 1937/France: April 10, 1941
Running Time: 65 minutes
Director: Irene Starevich/ Ladislas Starevich
Producer: Louis Nalpas (1929-31)/Roger Richebé (1939-41)
Historical Significance:
- the third animated feature film to have sound
- stop-motion animation pioneer Ladislas Starevich's first fully animated feature film
- one of the world's first-ever animated feature films and one of the first to use puppet animation
- stop-motion animation pioneer Ladislas Starevich's first fully animated feature film
- one of the world's first-ever animated feature films and one of the first to use puppet animation
Background:
The question of animation in the Nazi era has been largely ignored or even falsified. Starewich's Le Roman de Renard, although it was largely shot in Paris around 1930, has been completely ignored in discussions of "the first feature-length animation film" because it finally received its finishing funds from German sources (since Goethe had written a classic version of the Reynard legend) and had its world premiere in Berlin in April 1937--still eight months before Disney's Snow White (December 1937).
In fact, dozens of animators worked in Germany before and during the Nazi era, including such relatively forgotten names as Kurt Wiese, Otto Hermann, Hans Zoozmann, Lore Bierling, Toni Rabolt, Harry Jaeger, Kurt Wolfe, Kurt Kiesslich, Curt Schumann, Kurt Stordel, Richard Felgenauer, Bernhard Klein, Paul Peroff, the team of Hedwig and Gerda Otto, the team of Schwab and Gerhardt--as well as such slightly better-known figures as Louis Seel, the Diehl brothers (who made more than fifty puppet films), Rudolf Pfenninger, Wolfgang Kaskeline, Lotte Reiniger, and the Fischinger brothers--Hans and Oskar.
Plot Summary:
In the kingdom of animals, the fox Renard is used to tricking and fooling everyone. Consequently, the King (a lion), receives more and more complaints. Finally, he orders Renard to be arrested and brought before the throne.
Animation Style and Production:
The Tale of the Fox, called Le Roman de Renard in France, and Reinecke Fuchs in Germany, was stop-motion animation pioneer Ladislas Starevich's first fully animated feature film. It is based on the tales of Renard the Fox. Although the animation was finished in Paris after an 18-month period (1929-1930), there were major problems with adding a soundtrack to the film. Finally, funding was given for a German soundtrack by the Nazi regime (Goethe had written a classic version of the Renard legend) and this version had its premiere in Berlin in April 1937. Released eight months before Disney's Snow White, it is the world's sixth-ever animated feature film. The film was released in France with a French language soundtrack in 1941.
Funny Tidbits You Didn't Know:
- As you are aware by reading this post, the German version of this film was funded by the Nazi regime. While I cannot condone the director's need to let them pollute this film, artistically and story-wise, this is film will be featured and discussed on the original French version, as it was meant to be. As the German version has cease to exist, and for personal reasons, I will only focus on this version. Hate the directors, not the movie.
No comments:
Post a Comment