Tango
- 1981
- 8m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
3.2K
YOUR RATING
Subsequent characters appear in a poorly-decorated room, intertwining but never colliding, all possessed by never-ending rituals.Subsequent characters appear in a poorly-decorated room, intertwining but never colliding, all possessed by never-ending rituals.Subsequent characters appear in a poorly-decorated room, intertwining but never colliding, all possessed by never-ending rituals.
- Director
- Writer
- Won 1 Oscar
- 6 wins total
Featured reviews
10llltdesq
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!
10saq1
when i saw it first time it was before the main movie we saw in the cinema. it was great. I was looking on it and try to understand how it was possible to make that film so long time ago. i think it's one of most interesting short movies i have ever seen and it's not because of im from poland :)
Zbigniew Rybczynski won an Oscar for this piece of art, and maybe it inspired Christopher Nolan and the creator of Bluey (the episode Hand Stand). I'd love to see the behind-the-scenes of Tango because how was it filmed and maintain patience at the same time?
This short takes your breath away, as you wonder how on earth he could have produced it, and all the while trying to keep up with the action on screen.
Technically brilliant, but also offers an insight into Polish culture (and communism as a whole) and bears repeated viewing, in fact demands it
Technically brilliant, but also offers an insight into Polish culture (and communism as a whole) and bears repeated viewing, in fact demands it
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.
Did you know
- TriviaOn April 11, 1983, at The 55th Annual Academy Awards (1983), Polish animator Zbigniew Rybczynski (pronounced "Rib-chin-ski") had probably the worst night that any Academy Award winner has ever had at the annual Oscar show. When presenter Kristy McNichol announced Rybczynski's short film, Tango (1981), as the winner in the Best Animated Short category, she mispronounced his name as "Zib-new-ski...sky." When Rybczynski accepted the award at the podium, the orchestra cut off his acceptance speech with the "Looney Tunes" theme. After talking with reporters in the press room backstage, Rybczynski stepped outside into an alley to have a cigarette. When he tried to re-enter the theater, an overzealous security guard refused to let him back in. Although Rybczynski was holding his Oscar, he was wearing a cheap tuxedo and tennis shoes, because he had been unable to afford better clothes. Rybczynski tried to explain things, but his English was poor, and the guard assumed he was drunk and called two police officers, who slammed the Polish director up against the wall. During the altercation, Rybczynski reportedly shouted, "American pig! I have Oscar!" and tried to kick a policeman in the groin. Rybczynski spent the night in jail before the mess was sorted out.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Pieces of Silver (1989)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Танго
- Filming locations
- Lódz, Lódzkie, Poland(only interiors, Studio Se-ma-for)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 8m
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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