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The Tale of Tales

Original title: Skazka skazok
  • 19791979
  • 29m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Skazka skazok (1979)
  • Animation
  • Short
Distant, well-worn memories of childhood are inhabited by a little gray wolf. Through astonishing imagery, the memory of all of Russia is depicted.Distant, well-worn memories of childhood are inhabited by a little gray wolf. Through astonishing imagery, the memory of all of Russia is depicted.Distant, well-worn memories of childhood are inhabited by a little gray wolf. Through astonishing imagery, the memory of all of Russia is depicted.
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Yuri Norstein
  • Writers
    • Lyudmila Petrushevskaya
    • Yuri Norstein
  • Star
    • Aleksandr Kalyagin(voice)
Top credits
  • Director
    • Yuri Norstein
  • Writers
    • Lyudmila Petrushevskaya
    • Yuri Norstein
  • Star
    • Aleksandr Kalyagin(voice)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 19User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins

    Photos

    Skazka skazok (1979)
    Skazka skazok (1979)
    Dave Privett, Julie Aigner-Clark, Aspen Clark, Sierra Clark, and June Privett in Skazka skazok (1979)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Aleksandr Kalyagin
    Aleksandr Kalyagin
    • Little Grey Wolfas Little Grey Wolf
    • (voice)
    • Director
      • Yuri Norstein
    • Writers
      • Lyudmila Petrushevskaya
      • Yuri Norstein
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    A reflection of Russian history and memory. Norstein creates a visual emotional response to a changing Russia, followed in the eyes of the Little Grey Wolf spying on various people's lives, and giving an insight on Russian culture in the 20th Century. —Anonymous
    • wolf
    • despair
    • hope
    • destruction
    • unrest
    • 48 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Animation
      • Short
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The title of the film, and partial inspiration, came from a poem by Nazim Hikmet. The original title "The Little Grey Wolf Will Come" was rejected by censors.
    • Connections
      Featured in Masters of Russian Animation - Volume 3 (2000)
    • Soundtracks
      Utomlyonnoe solntse
      Written by Jerzy Petersburski

      Russian lyrics by Iosif Alvek

      Performed by Aleksandr Tsfasman

    User reviews19

    Review
    Top review
    A Visual Feast
    In most people's head the animation film is connected to Disney movies or to Japanese manga animation films, which are very hip nowadays. But everyone seems to overlook Russian animators. The most influential of them is Yuri Norstein, whose timeless masterpiece was awarded at the festival of animation films in Los Angeles in 1984 and at many other film festivals throughout the world. But why is this short half-an-hour movie so beautiful?

    Firstly, because Norstein has a matchless visual style. I expected something special after I've read about the film and before I saw it but what I got is something extraordinary: breathtaking pictures, fantastically clever use of mixed media, fine classical music. Secondly, because of the complex, symbol-ridden story, which is rooted in the Russian mythology. The story is about childhood innocence, the loss of the loved ones and the duty of the artist. It's very European, very Eastern-European and because I'm from Hungary and our past is very similar, this animation film is much closer to me than the American or Japanese ones.
    helpful•35
    6
    • thecygnet
    • Oct 6, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • 1979 (Soviet Union)
    • Country of origin
      • Soviet Union
    • Language
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • Tale of Tales
    • Filming locations
      • Former USSR
    • Production company
      • Soyuzmultfilm
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      29 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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