In a world where Hollywood regular produce is thrown at me everywhere, I cherish the occasion whenever I can get hold of a very different movie, one steady source being the German SuperIllu magazine which each month comes with a fairy tale film from the old Socialist days - so far alternating GDR and USSR productions, but today they gave a CSSR one, namely this.
It started slow, which disappointed me for a while, but then it picked up steam. Image quality showed its age of 51 years - no "digital restoration", once possibly radiant colors degrading to b/w at times, reminding of 2-strip Technicolor at others.. but still, it grew more and more watchable.
The story deals with heroic princess Lada, who leaves her home castle to flee an unsuitable suitor, dressed in a mouse-skin coat, to do a partly Cinderella act at Prince Charming's place. We also get lots of music, ballet, some Czech songs (voiced over in German in this edition), a little but impressive swashbuckling, trials and tribulations, and a happily-ever-after ending as known from old Hollywood :) This is a charming movie, with interesting actor faces (I liked most the ballet-master and the cook). Not sure how today's children will like it, but I (being born 3 years before) still enjoyed it very much, 51 years later.
It started slow, which disappointed me for a while, but then it picked up steam. Image quality showed its age of 51 years - no "digital restoration", once possibly radiant colors degrading to b/w at times, reminding of 2-strip Technicolor at others.. but still, it grew more and more watchable.
The story deals with heroic princess Lada, who leaves her home castle to flee an unsuitable suitor, dressed in a mouse-skin coat, to do a partly Cinderella act at Prince Charming's place. We also get lots of music, ballet, some Czech songs (voiced over in German in this edition), a little but impressive swashbuckling, trials and tribulations, and a happily-ever-after ending as known from old Hollywood :) This is a charming movie, with interesting actor faces (I liked most the ballet-master and the cook). Not sure how today's children will like it, but I (being born 3 years before) still enjoyed it very much, 51 years later.