Tango

When you first begin watching this film, you can't help but wonder "how in the heck did they make this?"--as the animation style is so odd. I am only guess that they probably used a blue screen (I think green screens for special effects were used later in film history) and filmed lots of different people doing very random things--such as retrieving a suitcase or basketball, changing clothes (with a brief peek of female nudity--not much, really) and taking care of a baby. I assume that each layer of actions was simply superimposed over top the background (which you can do by eliminating everything but the actor with the blue screen). In the beginning, one of these individuals enters the room and then leaves. A bit later, another enters and the last person returns. And over time, more and more and more people enter the picture and begin doing their random actions. None of the people interact and the actions become fast and frantic once more enter the picture. There really is no plot--it's more of an experimental style film.

A fascinating experiment, but not a film you'd want to see repeatedly! It did receive the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Did it deserve this honor? Well, the time, it was pretty interesting compared to what little animation was being done at the time (and most of it wasn't particularly good), so for the early 80s it was at least different. However, this same Oscar contest also featured the lovely and timeless film THE SNOWMAN. How TANGO beat THE SNOWMAN is beyond me, as THE SNOWMAN is simply gorgeous to watch and hear. In fact, this might just be one of the worst decisions in Oscar history. Maybe the Oscar committee was trying to recognize a film made in the Communist Bloc (especially since the previous year they game gobs of Oscars to the pro-communist film REDS). In the long run, think about how many people today have seen and enjoyed THE SNOWMAN versus TANGO and I think I've made my point. You can find copies of this sweet film in practically every video store--even a quarter of a century later. Watch TANGO only if you are a die-hard cinephile.

I did feel a bit sorry for the lad with the football. He must have climbed in and out of the window fifty-odd times in this curious short feature that has something of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" to it. Not that it's in any way, seasonal. It is that each character who takes part in the scene repeats their role and steadily the number of participants increases. Each always enters, does the same thing, leaves, falls over, dresses - there's even some sex - all seen by one locked-off camera - before it all abruptly reverses and an old lady finds herself bemusedly in possession of a football! Accompanied by a tango style theme, this is repetitive but quirkily and engagingly so.

In this masterpiece of timing and cinematic movement kept me enthralled for the full period. One begins to focus on a single entity and soon another moves into the room. There is true choreography everywhere. The movements of the characters never clash, they move seamlessly, doing the same repetitive dance. It's impossible for a brief review to do this justice. I would urge everyone to see this at some point.

The year 1982 saw three shorts nominated for the Academy Award for Animated Short. All were excellent and could easily have won. It was the misfortune of The Great Cognito and The Snowman that they were in direct competition with this short. This is so intricately done and so fascinating in its conception and execution, that words fail me. It reminds me of the feeling I get when I look at the works of M.C. Escher. This must be watched (more than once) to be fully grasped. One warning is necessary: this is not for children. A portion or two of this is most decidedly adult in nature. Most decidedly and solidly recommended!

Tango is a fantastic short, animated as a collage of live action film clips. It begins simply, with one boy retrieving a lost ball in a repeating pattern. He is joined by others who also follow repeating patterns of their own. It climaxes with a screen packed with individuals all going about their business in complete ignorance of the actions of the others, and ends as simply as it began. All this is done without words (except for the repeated shout of a man falling from a table). If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend this artistic short.