Hello and welcome back to picsandportraits.
This video is a sort of a continuation of
last week’s video on Soviet futurism.
Today we are going to be diving into the world
of Soviet animator Vladimir Tarasov.
Now his work should look familiar to long
time viewers. We covered Forward March, Time!
and Shooting Range on Animation/Propaganda
but he is perhaps best known for his science
fiction, and that is what's going to be the main focus of this video.
But before we get into that, a little background.
Tarasov began working in animation in 1957,
when he was hired at Soyuzmultfilm. Despite
all we’ve talked about Soviet animation
we’ve never really delved into Soyuzmultfilm
and its importance to the medium.
It’s basically the Russian equivalent of
Disney and has been responsible for producing
some of the country’s greatest cartoons,
including all Tarasov’s.
The first film he directed for them was 1973’s
Cowboys in the City, which is radically different
from pretty much everything else we are going
to be looking at.
It plays like a PSA, with a series of safety
lessons, using cowboys to highlight safe automobile
practices like crossing the street and not
driving under the influence.
The designs in this short are very cartoony,
leading me to believe this was produced for
children. The way the lesson is delivered
also comes off that way.
Tarasov first ventured into sci-fi with Mirror
of Time in 1976.
This not only explores the possibility of
time travel but also the concept of time through
several examples or beliefs from history.
These include an adaptation of Mark Twain’s
novel, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s
Court, as well as HG Wells’ The Time Machine
and an atmospheric phenomenon that caused
a village of people to see a battle taking
place in the sky.
Now this is wild. It sent me down a hole
to find exactly what happened as it’s only
described as an event that happened in Central Europe.
It’s said that residents of a village saw
this battle in the sky and that experts later
determined it was the Battle of Waterloo.
It was apparently made possible due to a light
phenomena that reflected images of the battle
into space and it was that the villagers saw.
This short is built around the theory that
when we look at stars we seeing into the past
because of the way light travels and that
at a certain distance and with a powerful
enough telescope we could in theory see our own past.
My research lead me to a couple different
cases, both from the 16th century.
The first took place in the German city of
Nuremberg in 1561. Numerous residents reported
seeing explosions in the sky along with several
aircraft with their descriptions matching
what we today call UFOs. This would be repeated
five years later with the 1566 celestial phenomenon
over Bassel, Switzerland.
Both events were deemed a sign from Heaven
in text recorded by a publisher from the time
named Hans Glaser, who may not be the most
reliable source.
Glaser was a known sensationalist who frequently
published similar stories and seems to be
a predecessor to modern conspiracy theorists.
Neither of these events match what is described
in Mirror of Time but fascinating stuff nonetheless.
The next short we are going to be looking
at it is 1978’s Contact.
Now this is a subdued and wholesome story
of two species interacting for the first time.
We have an Earthling and an alien that is
capable of mimicking and shapeshifting.
It captures the fear that comes with the unknown.
Tarasov in my opinion is great evoking his
characters emotions in the viewer and he does
so here without dialogue. It’s the perfect
example of show don’t tell. The film is
largely silent though it does feature a soundtrack
that straight up rips off the score for the
Godfather.
Ultimately, the two species learn they are
more alike than different and become friends.
Tarasov would actually revisit this format
in 1985’s Contract, which even has a similar
title.
The only difference is that in Contract, both
beings, a human and a robot, discover they’re
similar in the way they are both being exploited
by the useless bureaucracy of their respective
jobs.
The last two shorts we are going to look at
are also thematically linked. Up first we
have The Return from 1980.
This follows a cosmonaut and his stream of
consciousness as he prepares to return to
Earth following the failure of his ship’s
landing system.
He is advised to rest and we are taken to
where his mind wanders. He sleeps. He dreams
about home, both his native planet and his
subjective experience of the concept. He also
breaks away into interpretations of his current
situation, floating through space.
His consciousness reacts to external stimuli,
like commands to wake up. He believes everyone
on Earth is encouraging him and as time passes
panic begins ensue. He only wakes up when
his grandfather sets off an alarm clock as
he passes over his childhood home.
However, in the end we are left wondering
is his safe arrival literal or just another
part of his fantasy?
Finally, we have what I consider to be his
magnum opus, 1988’s The Pass.
Now as you can see already, it’s visually
striking. It tells the story of a crew stranded
on a frozen planet who, after many years,
attempt to return to their crashed spaceship
for supplies and hopefully signal for help.
In order to do so, they have to navigate dangerous
terrain and terrifying animals. Though some
are friendly, apparently this is a goat. I
think it’s adorable.
Tarasov’s use of shadow and light is incredible.
Like in The Return, emotions are evoked in
the viewer through music, pacing and allusive
imagery. There is a constant sense of dread
throughout and it is both horrific and beautiful.
It’s incredibly moving, a masterclass in
animation.
I would recommend both The Return and The
Pass to fans of 2001: A Space Odyssey and
that brand of spiritual science fiction. I
don’t how to describe it but I can certainly
feel it.
I have been a fan of Tarasov since I discovered
his work a few years ago. I love his use of
perspective and jazz and his range of styles,
the way he plays with time and movement. His
cartoons are so frenetic and have such a wild
energy.
He is one of my favourite animators.
I can’t recommend him enough. Everything
we’ve looked is available on YouTube. I
will link in the description for those interested
in checking them out.
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