Les maîtres du temps (1982)

Piel, a 7 or 8 year old boy, is alone on the desert planet Perdide, only survivor of an attack by giant hornets. Calling for help, Piel's father's friend Jaffar keeps contact with the kid ... See full summary »

Director:

René Laloux

Writers:

Stefan Wul (novel), René Laloux (scenario and adaptation)

Stars:

Jean Valmont, Michel Elias, Frédéric Legros

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Valmont	...	Jaffar (voice)
Michel Elias	...	Silbad (voice)
Frédéric Legros	...	Piel (voice)
Yves-Marie Maurin	...	Matton (voice) (as Yves-Marie)
Monique Thierry	...	Belle (voice)
Sady Rebbot	...	Claude (voice)
Patrick Baujin	...	Jad (voice)
Pierre Tourneur	...	Yula (voice)
Alain Cuny	...	Xul (voice)
Yves Brainville	...	Général (voice)
Michel Barbey	...	Igor (voice)
Jim Bauman	...	Lowry (voice)
Michel Paulin	...	Pixa (voice)
François Chaumette	...	Robot (voice)
Henry Djanik	...	Un soldat (voice)

Storyline

Piel, a 7 or 8 year old boy, is alone on the desert planet Perdide, only survivor of an attack by giant hornets. Calling for help, Piel's father's friend Jaffar keeps contact with the kid and hurries across space toward Perdide.

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Plot Keywords:

surprise ending | boy | planet | hornet | outer space | 

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Did You Know?

Trivia

According to editor Dominique Boischot, while the film wasn't as popular in Europe as La planète sauvage (1973), it developed a larg cult following in the United States. In reality however, the film remained obscure in the US and is actually better remembered in Europe, especially its countries of origin and in the UK, where it would frequently air on television.

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Quotes

Angel: The creature denies happiness!

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Connections

Referenced in Interstellar (2014)

User Reviews

Creative, Literate Sci-Fi

I do not know the first thing about animation, and in fact the only animation I have experience with is a few Disney movies and Saturday morning cartoons. Watching this quirky piece of animated science-fiction, I came to the realization that animation opens up an entirely new universe of possibilities for the genre. I have read many science fiction short stories and novels, wondering how they could possibly be translated into film, but using animation, the portrayal of complicated conceptual ideas from sci-fi novels seems much more possible than in traditional live-action. In fact, I'm tempted to say that science fiction and animation naturally complement one another.

This movie is like a funhouse of outrageous otherworldly ideas, one after the next. For a mere 80 minute running time, the filmmakers have packed an amazing amount of material here. If anything, the movie is actually too short, and it seems to gloss over a great deal of important plot points. It is almost like watching a drawing board conceptualization of a longer, more ambitious film, rather than the film itself. As such, character development is at a minimum here, as in the work of George Lucas. But also like Lucas' films, much of that is made up by the wealth of creativity. What is here is fantastic - a story filled with warmth and humor that can resonate with both children and reasoning adults. The startling elliptical ending is intriguing but abrupt. I recommend this for more adventurous filmgoers who want to try something unique.

Details

Country:

France Switzerland West Germany UK Hungary

Language:

French

Release Date:

14 July 1985 (New Zealand)

Also Known As:

Gospodari vremena

Company Credits

Production Co:

Télécip, TF1 Films Production, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1