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Category:    Home > Reviews > Animation > Classical Music > History > Commercials > Shorts > Soldier's Tale, The (1980)

The Soldier’s Tale (Animated)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: B-     Film: B

 

 

R.O. Blechman is one of animations great, unsung heroes.  You have likely seen his work, maybe as you were growing up or casually without knowing it, but there is now a fine new DVD of his work built around his 1980 program for PBS’ Great Performances as a tribute to Igor Stravinsky on his 100th birthday.  The Soldier’s Tale is an abstract work that also includes the voice work of the likes of Max Von Sydow and narration by Andre Gregory.  The title character is taken through all the creative ups and destructive downs of the world, which he walks through figuratively and literally.

 

Unlike Forest Gump, he is affected by this history, but does not go violent like Michael Douglas’ D-Fens in Joel Schumacher’s ever-amazing Falling Down (1992), but he does interact to the absurdity of it all in amusing and human ways.  Very little in this tribute has dated and it remains one of the most remarkable hours of animated TV we have seen to date.  It is smart, mature, has depth, and anyone of any age can get something valuable out of it.  There is no other way to summarize the work, except to say it does go after the proliferation of technology, from weapons to conveniences, and shows how both are often too pitted against the individual.  Its message has only been vindicated by time, which itself echoes earlier key Russian works.

 

The full frame 1.33 X 1 image is the frame Blechman always used and much of the material throughout looks good for such a presentation on DVD.  The main program is from a clean analog master, while the extra shorts vary a bit, but are as remarkable as the work the disc is centered around.  Since these are in both the pencil sketch style and implementation of solid shapes, color is sometimes limited, but to call any of this monochrome would be very misleading.  The main feature certainly uses color well.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is monophonic, but has a fine realization of the music from 1918 based on classic Russian Folklore to begin with by conductor Gerald Schwartz with The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.  The combination is seamless.  The same sound is offered for a great audio commentary by Blechman that I wish would have lasted even longer.  Other extras include a live-action biography of Stravinsky that bears the title of the main program.  The other animated shorts, including great TV advertisements, are as follows:

 

1)     The Hand Of R.O. Blechman

2)     Alka-Seltzer

3)     Season’s Greetings From CBS

4)     Volvo

5)     Flix Flick

6)     Perrier

7)     Angelica Theaters

8)     “oa” (children’s grammar lesson)

9)     WQXR 96.3 FM

10)  The Golden Ass

11)  The Medical Dilemma

12)  Exercise

13)  No Room At The Inn

 

 

The section concludes with a montage set to music of his drawing and sketch work in a reprise of the first segment.  Like all the great animators from Chuck Jones and Winsor McCay to Ralph Bakshi and Ub Iwerks, Blechman’s work comes from the heart and soul and that makes The Soldier’s Tale DVD a must for all serious animation fans and those who want more than just a succession of feature films spinning in their DVD player.  Highly recommended!

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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