a.k.a. The Adventures of Prince Achmed
Feature film • 23rd September 1926 • 66 minutes
Direction and screenplay by Lotte Reiniger • Music by Wolfgang Zeller
Based on stories from the Book of One Thousand and One Nights
© 1926 Comenius-Film GmbH © 2000 ZDF/ARTE
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Table of Contents
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Introduction
Once, long ago in North Africa, there lived a sorcerer of great magical power — but this power he used only for his own selfish gain and to inflict misfortune on others, for this is something which amused him greatly. One day he did travel to the land of the Caliph, where they were celebrating the ruler's birthday. Here he was enchanted by the beauty of the Princess Dinarzade, and did desire her for himself; fortunately her brother, Prince Achmed, came to her defence.
Disgruntled, the sorcerer played one of his tricks upon Prince Achmed: offering a ride upon his magical flying horse, he told the prince how to cause the horse to ascend, but conveniently forgot to mention how to bring it down to earth before prince and horse alike were already speeding higher and higher into sky, through storm clouds and on into the stars. But the prince was young, and brave and eager for adventure, and little did the sorcerer know, but this ruse of his was only the beginning of the most wondrous of journeys, and one which would finally bring about his downfall.
Features
Availability
Links
Official
- http://www.carlottafilms.com//php/fiche_cine.php?rubrique=0&ss_rubrique=100&id_film=416 France
- http://www.lottereiniger.de Germany
- http://www.reiniger-world.com Japan
- http://www.bfi.org.uk/booksvideo/video/details/princeachmed United Kingdom
- http://www.milestonefilms.com/movie.php/achmed USA
Information
- http://www.anim8ed.org.uk/resources_index_reiniger.asp Resource for educators
- http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/moritz1.3.html Slightly outdated (being written before the ZDF/ARTE restoration) but still the most thorough biography
- http://www.snoreandguzzle.com/pages/print/stories%20and%20essays/stories%20and%20essays%20pages/lottereiniger.html Another excellent, must-read essay, with more info on the techniques she used
- http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/southbank/visitors/filmstore.php Sadly, they don't sell their products on-line, but the BFI Filmstore in London sells a range of Lotte Reiniger merchandise
- http://filmyear.typepad.com/blog/2007/01/1926_the_magic_.html A very impressively researched article on the ever-changing and contradictory perceptions of this film
- http://www.freunde-stadtmuseum.de/lotte-reiniger.html Page about the Lotte Reiniger exhibit in the Tübingen city museum
- http://frontierindia.scriptmania.com/page30.htm Summaries of her most famous short films
- http://www.lawrence.com/blogs/patrickquinn/2005/oct/25/reininger The link between Reiniger and Yellow Submarine, among other things
- http://www.randform.org/blog/?p=257 Influencers and followers
- http://www.37signals.com/svn/archives2/even_with_primitive_materials_one_can_work_small_wonders.php Background information and other paper artists
Media
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y6ft_dj3t8 4-minute extract
Profiles
- http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:989
- http://www.bcdb.com/cartoon/36632-Die_Abenteuer_des_Prinzen_Achmed.html
- http://www.flixster.com/movie/the-adventures-of-prince-achmed
- http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0015532
- http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/1053321-adventures_of_prince_achmed
- http://www.screenrush.co.uk/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=5091.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Prince_Achmed
Reviews
- http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=100209
- http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=6270
- http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/reviews.php?id=1232
- http://www.kinocite.co.uk/0/98.php
- http://www.methodshop.com/video/reviews/prince-achmed/index.shtml
- http://www.movierapture.com/adventuresofprinceachmed.htm
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