Dante's Hell Animated

What The Hell Is This? This is not 'animation' as we know it today. It's not even a cartoon. This is nothing more than a series of cardboard, paper or picture stills of paintings - maybe even the paintings themselves that are being moved around by hand behind a camera set. It's nothing more than a picture puppet show.

In terms of animation, it's rubbish, but the real epic is that it does reflect a more accurate stance of Dante Alighieri's Inferno. It does not capitalise on its content, therefore it does not try to bring about its own storyline - like so many others - which is perhaps why it's 'got away with' being classified as 'animation'.

If anything it 'shows-off' 'The Paintings': The Barque of Dante (Delacroix, 1822); The Wood of the Self-Murderers: The Harpies and the Suicides (Blake, 1827); Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta Appraised by Dante and Virgil (Scheffer, 1835); Dante in Hell (Flandrin, 1835); The Barque of Dante (1850s, Manet) Pia de' Tolomei (Rossetti, 1868); Paolo and Francesca da Rimini (Rossetti, 1885); La barca de Aqueronte (Hidalgo, 1887); La Laguna Estigia (Hidalgo, 1887).

The Animation, the Artists Impressions, the Country or source of origin and the Paintings are all edited, exalted & used in documentaries, teaching aids & other material that greatly or remotely reference Dante Alighieri and/or The Divine Comedy.

The Director & Producer Boris Acosta 'shows-off' his skill & love of 'The Arts' by labelling this as 'animation' - & that's what we're stuck with.

C'mon guys & gals out there in animated computing, do Dante Alighieri some real justice & give his Divine Comedy a 'proper' animated movie that doesn't resemble a puppet show or a video game.

This animation is really enjoyable as an adult or teenager who either have never read the book or has already. I've seen only the Italian version with English subtitles and the Italian narrators have so much passion that make you feel like they are telling you the story in front of you. What a joy!

The sweet voice of Silvia Colloca as Beatrice makes you believe she was really angelical. The almost impersonation of Dante by Riccardo Pratesi makes you feel that Dante himself is teaching you about Hell. The implacable fathering voice of Vittorio Matteucci certainly brings the needed authority in Virgil as Dante's guide, protector and teacher about life.