Alexander Ptushko
by Philip Parodayco // written on 17 January 2003, saved in Pjournal
I recently had the chance to see a movie by the legendary Russian fantasy filmmaker, Alexander Ptushko. THE STONE FLOWER (1946) was everything I hoped it would be. Based on an old miners' tale (1|2) from the Ural Mountains, The Stone Flower is a visual treat for those who grew up loving such movies as Jason and the Argonauts and The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad. Shot on film stolen from Germany after WWII, this movie is Russia's first full-color feature film. Ptushko was a man of “firsts”, having also made one of the world's first feature-length animated film, THE NEW GULLIVER (1935). That film is playing this weekend and I can't wait to see it! It's going to feature live motion/stop-motion hybrid animation utilizing nearly 3000 characters. Even though we're in the age of Lord of the Rings and millions of digital characters practically animating themselves, I will still be watching Ptushko's old movie with awestruck wonder.
As for THE STONE FLOWER, it features beautiful set designs, ravishing lighting and magical special effects. The film takes place primarily in the Russian countryside with a use of light and color you rarely see after the 1940s (think Wizard of Oz). Memorable moments include a large group of men lit by candlelight conversing one evening at a large wood table in a darkened room and Danila talking to his love, Katya, in an indigo-hued landscape as the sun sets over the horizon, filling the sky with an orange glow. The special effects arrive with the character of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain — you'll see her if you click the movie's title link above. Her ever-changing dress shimmers with gold, green and blue metals. Her domain is a vast cavern filled with massive gems and stone. When we finally see the stone flower, we're as dazzled as Danila is at its brilliant radiance.
Movies such as these are difficult to come by and rarely show in theatres. This little festival contains only four of Ptushko's 37 films (11 animated). I know that one of them, VIY, is out on DVD. Let's hope more become available in the near future.
Comments on Alexander Ptushko // add your comment
David Weiss wrote:
Have been searching for many years for Ptushko's
“The Stone Flower,” and “The New Gulliver,” with
ENGLISH sub-titles.
Have them, minus the ENGLISH titles.
Can you help me.
Thanks.
Jon Wacker wrote:
I saw the celluloid version of “The Stone Flower” as a boy of 6 or 7 just a few years after it was produced. Although the love story was beyond anything I could have experienced at my young age,I was entranced by the strange vividness of the color and the haunting beauty of the Queen of the Copper Mountain.
I would love to share this movie with my family and friends, but it seems not to be the sort of fare likely to be found on Netflix or Blockbuster video. At least, not so far. I see on a number of websites, several years old, that the Russian Cinema Council began a project to restore 120 films, among them 30 fairy tales including The Stone Flower. But the trail has run cold. Has the DVD actually been produced? Is it available outside Russia or Europe? The U.S.?
Anybody know?