Der alte Mann und das Meer

I first saw this movie in the Spring of 2001, and it is truly one of the best films I have ever seen. Mr. Petrov not only does a magnificent job of depicting the story of the Old Man and the Sea, but also gives tribute the life of Ernest Hemmingway in a way that is true to the man. I still remember many affecting lines from Hemmingway's journal that are included in the movie (though not verbatim, otherwise I might leave some here). I left the theater with a changed perspective on life and its importance.

Needless to say, I would love to be able to see this movie again. However, because it was in IMAX format in theaters, it has never been released on DVD or VHS, at least to my knowledge it hasn't. I hope someday the means will be provided to release the movie in a format for private viewers to purchase. That day may never arrive though. Thus, if you ever have the chance to see this movie in an IMAX theater, don't let it pass you by!

This Hemingway staple has all of the tensions inherent in a life lived. The old man knows that his task is huge, but facing death and failure is better than living in safety. The seamless animation and waves of beautiful sea images take us on the journey. One of the finest examples of short animation to ever be seen.

"The Old Man and the Sea" (1999) directed by Aleksandr Petrov is a 20 minutes long animation based on Ernest Hemingway's 1952 novella of the same name. Petrov's film was awarded Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2000. More than two years of painting on glass sheets, using brushes but mostly his own fingers, resulted in over 29,000 paintings that enabled Petrov to produce this absolutely awesome, one of the kind feast of colors, images, and emotions that celebrate the famous work of literature and its creator. I have watched it perhaps ten times during the last weekend. I am still overwhelmed by its beauty and depth, and the admiration for what human imagination, creativity, and talent are capable of producing. The extremely rare technique made the film both incredibly realistic and magically dream-like. The director himself gave us the key to understanding his work when he explained that painting with his fingers instead of brushes, "is the closest way from the heart to the cartoon". He put his own heart in every scene of the film, and that's probably why every image is alive, breathing, and shining.

Aleksandr Petrov's adaptation of this Ernest Hemingway story is quite exquisite to watch. An opening sequence that illustrates the beauty of the animal kingdom gives way to the old man and the boy looking out over the sea. He is tired, doesn't want to eat and hasn't caught a fish for over a week. Fortunately for them, the youngster fishes with the "lucky boat" so they won't starve. Next day, vows the old man, he just knows if he ventures far enough out to sea, he will catch something. A small fish takes his line, ideal bait for something bigger - and that bigger fish duly arrives for a battle royal. If you know the story, then you'll know what happens next and of the lessons the older man learns. It's a poignant story about endurance and pride, but also about knowing your own limitations and learning how to share and to rely on others. An hard series of lessons for a man set in his ways and determined to provide. The water-borne animation is a joy to watch, the detail contrasts beautifully with the grand scale of the location and the facial expressions are windswept and natural to watch. At times the whole thing looks like a succession of gorgeous paintings and really is a delight to watch.

When I saw this film was made by Aleksandr Petrov, I knew it had to be special. Even before this film received the Oscar for Best Short Animated Film, he was already well-known for his short films since he'd been nominated for Oscars in this same category for THE COW and MERMAID. All three of these films are breathtaking to watch--with the most amazing animation I have ever seen. Instead of traditionally cartoon-like animation or CGI, his films are like living and moving paintings--looking like something that should be in an art museum--not in a theater. They are simply gorgeous.

As for THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, it easily deserved to win the Oscar--being yet another great Petrov film. The only odd thing about it is that it was made in English and French and when I saw it I was surprised because I expected Russian! Still, a gorgeous and faithful adaptation of the book and far better than the Spencer Tracy version of the tale.