Even when the influence of the great Jan Svankmajer is still quite evident in this early short from the brothers Quay, "Nocturna Artificilia", there are several moments where the distinctive style of those two filmmakers could be noted, the same style that will get a fully development in later shorts, such as their adaptation of the Bruno Schulz's short story "Street of Crocodiles" and the fascinating "Stille Nacht" shorts.
Mysterious, fascinating and stylish, "Nocturna Artificilia" is an impressive work with a captivating atmosphere, having the dream-like quality that eventually became characteristic in all the works of the brothers Quay. The impressive animation and atmosphere are the best part of this short, largely compensating the apparent lack of a plot (or at least, a "plot" in the conventional sense) I'd rather think in the shorts of the brothers Quay as visual "poems".
Mysterious, fascinating and stylish, "Nocturna Artificilia" is an impressive work with a captivating atmosphere, having the dream-like quality that eventually became characteristic in all the works of the brothers Quay. The impressive animation and atmosphere are the best part of this short, largely compensating the apparent lack of a plot (or at least, a "plot" in the conventional sense) I'd rather think in the shorts of the brothers Quay as visual "poems".