Adventures of Prince Achmed, The

Director: Lotte Reiniger
Germany. 1926.
65 minutes. B&W/Tinted.

 

When The Adventures of Prince Achmed premiered in Germany on September 23, 1926 it was hailed as the first full-length animated film. More than seventy-five years later, this enchanting film still stands as one of the great classics of animation — beautiful, mesmerizing and utterly seductive.

Taken from The Arabian Nights, the film tells the story of a wicked sorcerer who tricks Prince Achmed into mounting a magical flying horse and sends the rider off on a flight to his death. But the prince foils the magician?s plan, and soars headlong into a series of wondrous adventures — joining forces with Aladdin and the Witch of the Fiery Mountains, doing battle with the sorcerer's army of monsters and demons, and falling in love with the beautiful Princess Peri Banu.

This cinematic treasure has been beautifully restored with its spectacular color tinting and with a new orchestral recording of the magnificent 1926 score by Wolfgang Zeller. Thrilling, sensuous and dazzling, Prince Achmed will enthrall children and film enthusiasts of all ages. This collector's edition includes a marvelous 60-minute documentary on pioneer animator Lotte Reiniger.

THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE AND MILESTONE FILM & VIDEO PRESENT The Adventures of Prince Achmed. A Primrose Film Productions, Ltd. release. Technical Director: Carl Koch.Animation Assistants: Walter Ruttmann, Berthold Bartosch, Walter Ruttman & Alexander Kardan. Based on stories from The Arabian Nights. Original Music by Wolfgang Zeller.Restoration by the Deutsches Filmmuseum Frankfurt.Tinted and printed by L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna.The original score was recorded for ZDF/Arte. © 1926 Comenius-Film GmbH. © 2000 ZDF/Arte.

Bonus Features

Lotte Reiniger: Homage to the Inventor of the Silhouette Film. 1999. B&W/Color. 60 minutes. Written and directed by Katja Raganelli. © 1999 Diorama Film GmbH. Also includes a 1921 animated advertising trailer by Lotte Reiniger.

 

Reviews

"A masterpiece! She was born with magic hands."

- Jean Renoir

"A rapturous animated kaleidoscope!"

- Wesley Morris, San Francisco Examiner