In a sentenceThe silhouettes do more acting than a surprising number of faces
Prince Achmed is the central figure in this animated fantasy, which combines an adventure story with romance. Lotte Reiniger writes and directs, telling the story through silhouette animation. Carl Koch handles the cinematography, and Wolfgang Zeller provides the music. Produced by Louis Hagen, the film dates from 1926 and runs for 66 minutes. Its characters appear as moving outlines rather than live performers, with the animation using their shapes and movements to convey expression as Prince Achmed’s adventures unfold on screen.
Lotte Reiniger’s silhouette fantasy is expressive and inviting, with delicate animation that earns our affection. The adventure and romance are less involving, but this is a warm recommendation for anyone drawn to animation.
The Adventures of Prince Achmed is a rewarding animated fantasy whose chief pleasure is the expressiveness of its silhouettes. Lotte Reiniger gives these delicate figures enough life to make the film worth watching without any special allowance for its age. We recommend it, with a reservation about the rather thin dramatic appeal of the adventure and romance. The date is 1926; the images need no patient explanation before they can be enjoyed.
A silhouette makes us pay attention differently. We tend to search faces for feeling, but here the outline of a figure has to tell us much of what we need. We were unexpectedly moved by the delicacy of that animation. The figures seem vulnerable because their forms are so finely shaped, and their expressiveness keeps the intricate designs from feeling merely decorative. That attraction lasts beyond the first pleasure of discovering how the film looks.
Carl Koch’s cinematography deserves some of the credit for making those designs readable. The visual detail is a pleasure in itself, yet it does not overwhelm the figures or make following them feel laborious. That clarity matters in a style which places so much weight on an outline. We can enjoy the workmanship without having to pick the image apart, and the photography serves the animation with welcome discretion.
The screenplay, also by Lotte Reiniger, does not command quite the same enthusiasm. The adventure holds our interest, but we seldom feel particularly anxious about it, and the romance leaves some of the emotional work to the animation. This is where the film can feel slight. At 66 minutes it is hardly an ordeal, but shortness does not automatically make a story involving, and we occasionally wanted more than another reason to admire the images.
Wolfgang Zeller’s music gives the fantasy a welcome sense of occasion. It suits the delicacy of the animation, although it is the figures themselves that remain with us afterwards. The accompaniment feels comfortable alongside these images without needing to insist on their importance. It helps us settle into the film’s manner, even when our interest in the adventure wanders.
Against what we ask of animated fantasy, that unevenness matters. A distinctive style can justify an evening, but a story still needs to make us care about its people. Here, the expressive animation supplies enough feeling to compensate for some of the screenplay’s shortcomings. We would not make the film’s age the centre of the recommendation: its visual invention is enjoyable without treating the experience as an educational obligation.
Give it an evening when looking closely is part of the pleasure. Those hoping primarily for a gripping adventure may find our recommendation too generous, and the romance is unlikely to settle the matter. But anyone curious about how much feeling an animator can put into a figure’s outline should put the distractions aside for these 66 minutes.
The critic finds this early animated feature a joy to behold. They praise its exquisite beauty, experimental audacity, and expressive silhouette animation.
Read the full review →The review finds the live revival beautiful and a reminder of animation’s expressive possibilities. It praises how Johnston’s energetic jazz score complements Reiniger’s silhouettes and brings the archival film to life.
Read the full review →The available description presents the film as charming, but the review’s full verdict cannot be verified. It singles out Reiniger’s silhouette animation as the film’s notable quality.
Read the full review →The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. The headline identifies it as a review of a German silhouette film, but no specific praise or complaint is visible.
Read the full review →Osborne calls the film overwhelmingly beautiful and an impressive piece of film history. She especially praises Reiniger’s intricate silhouette animation, delicate designs, and visual inventiveness.
Read the full review →
The Tale of the Princess KaguyaAnother animated fantasy whose delicate drawings make its characters feel painfully vulnerable.
Beauty and the Beast · not on Fi1m yetA live-action fairy tale with expressive shadows and a persuasive sense of enchantment.
Son of the White Mare · not on Fi1m yetFolklore becomes bold colour and restless movement in this Hungarian animated adventure.
Fantastic Planet · not on Fi1m yetFor stranger animated fantasy, with unfamiliar creatures and a less welcoming atmosphere.
The Secret of KellsOrnamental detail and clear silhouettes give this Irish animated adventure its appeal.
