Corto Maltese: La cour secrète des Arcanes

Granted, I don't speak French, so I won't be able to comment on the plot, but I got a fair idea of what it's about. The visuals range from fairly impressive to mundane - some of the film is obviously rendered (hand drawn over the rendering) but overall, "it looks good." It has its own style, very reminiscent of the comic book, which is pretty cool. The French voice acting is well done, as is the cinematography - the movie is very moody, but never dull. The various scenes have a lot of atmosphere, especially sequences with infrequent or no dialogue - just very well done and spooky sound effects. I'll have to see it again with English subs to decide how worthwhile it is, but for the visuals alone, I'd suggest seeing it.

Whoah.

This is a movie that promises a lot from the start: A collision of Russian, continental European and various Asian cultures, political intrigue, James Bond-style antics, religion, martial arts and romance. But in the end, it turns out as a story about... a train robbery. However, it's a wild ride that won't have you looking away from the screen for a second-unless you shy away at occasional violence and nudity...

It has to be one of the most visually interesting animated movies ever, not because of the quality and amount of work put in it, which is somewhat below the best Disney productions, but because of how it's used. From the stunning opening shots to the "fantastic-ized" outdoor enviroments, the varied and effectively (un)lit indoor scenes and the buildings, to the creatively directed character interactions, there's barely a few scenes at all that one could imagine being done with live actors at all!

This movie is true example of animation as an art form, not reducing itself to an imitation of the real life. No matter what you think about the character designs, which are somewhat stiff, all of them have significant, peculiar mannerisms that would be unthinkable to realize with actors. This attitude, both "retro" and reinventive, is exactly what is needed against the trend of "hyper-realistic" animation that has become prominent in recent years.

The other point of this movie is the MUSIC-an absolutely sparkling musical score that sets the perfect mood for each and every scene, except for a overly melodramatic build-up in the epilogue. It's one of the few movie soundtracks that i would try and find and listen to on it's own, because whenever it is heard it really stands out.

I recommend anyone interested in creative visuals as found in Japanese films (though certainly not Japanese animation!) to try and see this movie at least once, for the sake of the infinitely creative visual language. European animation is alive and well, certainly, just hope they find a better story for next one...

Being a big fan of Hugo Pratt's comic, I was pleased with this animated adaptation of Corto Maltese. The plot was most faithful to the original graphic novel, the dialogue being used almost verbatim. This must've been somewhat risky, since the story isn't exactly easy to follow. Animated features cost more than comics, so they also need bigger audiences, and the film-makers must've been tempted to tighten the pace and cut some of the historical references. Luckily, they haven't done so.

The drawing style is also truthful to Pratt, and the animation is as good as it can be without a Disney budget. Regarding this, one could even say that the faithfulness of the adaptation is a limiting factor. Pratt's contemplative and somewhat static form of storytelling is perhaps unfitting for an animated film, since animation has a different set of dynamics than comics.

The biggest flaw with the film is something that couldn't have been helped: the original comic is a long series of stories, of which the film can offer only a slice. Pratt's world isn't the easiest to enter, and seeing one film (or reading one comic, to that matter) probably isn't enough to make one see what's so special about Corto Maltese. The friendship between Corto and Rasputin, one of the most interesting aspects of the comic, is well conveyed in this particular story. But to wholly understand this relationship one needs to know their past - which the film can only refer to. The film-makers' choice of not starting from the beginning is understandable, since the first Corto Maltese story isn't the best or the most filmable of the bunch.

To sum it up: while I liked the film very much, someone not familiar with the comic probably doesn't get as much out of it. The best thing this film can do is to acquaint such people with Pratt's masterful work.

Corto Maltese, the legendary sailor from the pencil of Hugo Pratt, have always been a bit hard for me to get my head around. For one, it's hard to get a hold of, and for two, because it's mainly in italian and french, which aren't my strong suits.

But from what I gathered, this is just like any other Corto Maltese adventure story: historical settings, exotic locations, shady plots, intrigues, clashes of different cultures, old and new allies, 'pals' and enemies, and of course, some beautiful ladies.

It was a breath of fresh air, adventurous but melancholic and beautiful at the same time. Eye-pleasing visuals, even after two decades on, which seamlessly incorporated some 3D elements into the 2D animation, a trend that reached its peak at that time.

Oh and from the art department I happened to recognize some names that I've encountered in my exposure to BDs (french comics) such as Olivier Vatine, Virginie Augustin and Didier Cassegrain. No wonder it turned out as remarkable as it did.

Anyway, its a recommend. I rate it a solid 8/10. It really took me back to a different era, a different time in various ways.

I am a big Corto Maltese and Hugo Pratt fun and in a way a cinephile. This movie was unfortunately a disappointment. It only captures very small parts of Corto's character and the general mysticism normally surrounding this hero and his adventures. In fact, everyone in the movie seems to have acquired a French attitude and face (incl. the Chinese) and I think only Rasputin is close to the enjoyable and surreal persona of Pratt. The animation is fairly well made but it becomes especially week in times of action. The more dreamy sceneries and scenes were much better. Overall, not a movie that I would see again (despite my love for Corto) but not one that I would totally reject. See it as a homage but dont expect anything breathtaking as the original graphical novel(s).