Animation from 1978, 1983, 1990, and 1979Rating: 14/20
Plot: Shorts about rainbow blobs conversing with pipe smokers, injured ants trying to return home, cats befriending mice to the chagrin of babushkas, and children feeding apples to crows while bulls jump rope with little girls and Death taps brides on tender shoulders and asks, "May I cut in?"
Vladimir Tarasov's "Contact" shows us that hippiedom came to the Soviet Union kinda late. Some of the animation looks like it would fit right in with Yellow Submarine. It's a fun little short but nothing spectacular. Neither is "Travels of an Ant" although the insect voices, all done by director/animator Eduard Nazarov, are really cute. It's a nice little children's story. It's hard to believe that Alexander Guriev's "Cat and Company" comes from the 90's. Color schemes (purple birds flying over a yellow background?), style, and music makes it look like something straight out of the late 70's. It was a yucky cartoon. Finally, you get to the nearly 30 minute "Tale of Tales" (the original title "The Grey Wolf Will Come" didn't make it past the censors) which is unique and beautiful. There's a mix of animation styles (cut-outs, stop motion) and this gray and white texture that gives it a dreamy, sort of silent film quality that makes it really exciting visually. It's such a fragile-looking movie, almost like the images would start to crack if I stared too hard. I don't understand much of the symbolism (or narrative if there is one). If I had to guess, I'd say it contains a lot of allusions to Russian folk tales. Even without fully understanding what is going on, however, this is still a stimulating 30 minutes. The wolf is cute!
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