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Corto Maltese: Secret Court of the Arcanes

Original title: Corto Maltese: La cour secrète des Arcanes
  • 20022002
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Corto Maltese: La cour secrète des Arcanes (2002)
  • Animation
  • Adventure
  • Drama
In 1918, civil wars are tearing Russia and China apart. Laconic adventurer Corto Maltese is hired by a Chinese secret society to capture a train that's taking Tzar's gold abroad. His friend ... Read allIn 1918, civil wars are tearing Russia and China apart. Laconic adventurer Corto Maltese is hired by a Chinese secret society to capture a train that's taking Tzar's gold abroad. His friend Rasputin joins him, but only hell awaits them.In 1918, civil wars are tearing Russia and China apart. Laconic adventurer Corto Maltese is hired by a Chinese secret society to capture a train that's taking Tzar's gold abroad. His friend Rasputin joins him, but only hell awaits them.
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Pascal Morelli
  • Writers
    • Hugo Pratt(comic book: Corto Maltese - Corte Sconta dette Arcana)
    • Natalia Borodin
    • Thierry Thomas
  • Stars
    • Richard Berry(voice)
    • Patrick Bouchitey(voice)
    • Barbara Schulz(voice)
Top credits
  • Director
    • Pascal Morelli
  • Writers
    • Hugo Pratt(comic book: Corto Maltese - Corte Sconta dette Arcana)
    • Natalia Borodin
    • Thierry Thomas
  • Stars
    • Richard Berry(voice)
    • Patrick Bouchitey(voice)
    • Barbara Schulz(voice)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 11User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Corto Maltese: La cour secrète des Arcanes (2002)
    Corto Maltese: La cour secrète des Arcanes (2002)
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    Top cast

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    Richard Berry
    Richard Berry
    • Corto Malteseas Corto Maltese
    • (voice)
    Patrick Bouchitey
    Patrick Bouchitey
    • Raspoutineas Raspoutine
    • (voice)
    Barbara Schulz
    Barbara Schulz
    • Changaï Lias Changaï Li
    • (voice)
    Marie Trintignant
    Marie Trintignant
    • La Duchesse Marina Seminovaas La Duchesse Marina Seminova
    • (voice)
    Frédéric van den Driessche
    Frédéric van den Driessche
      Marc Chapiteau
      Marc Chapiteau
      • Semenovas Semenov
      • (voice)
      Maxime Leroux
      • Ninoas Nino
      • (voice)
      Hervé Bellon
      • Tchangas Tchang
      • (voice)
      Philippe Cotten
      • Tippitas Tippit
      • (voice)
      Emmanuel Curtil
      • Barrowas Barrow
      • (voice)
      Patrice Dozier
      • Longue Vieas Longue Vie
      • (voice)
      Jean-Michel Dupuis
      Jean-Michel Dupuis
      • Von Ungernas Von Ungern
      • (voice)
      Paule Emanuele
      • Mme Huas Mme Hu
      • (voice)
      • (as Paule Emmanuele)
      Sébastien Fromanger
      • Une Oreilleas Une Oreille
      • (voice)
      Bô Geste
        Christophe Guichet
        • Le Mopàas Le Mopà
        • (voice)
        Fabrice Josso
          Nadja Nguyen
            • Director
              • Pascal Morelli
            • Writers
              • Hugo Pratt(comic book: Corto Maltese - Corte Sconta dette Arcana)
              • Natalia Borodin
              • Thierry Thomas
            • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
            • All cast & crew

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            Storyline

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            Did you know

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            • Trivia
              Corto Maltese is a popular European comic book character, the hero of an eponymous comic book series created by late Italian comic artist Hugo Pratt (1927-1995). Most stories are set near, during or just after World War I and follow Corto, a laconic sea captain and adventurer who often travels to exotic places around the world, but rarely gets anything out of it. The brutality of the world and this chaotic era is often depicted in these stories. Secret societies, mad warlords and other more behind-the-scenes players are met by Corto more often than he'd like. This movie is based on one of these stories.
            • Connections
              Featured in Troldspejlet: Episode #32.14 (2004)

            User reviews11

            Review
            Top review
            8/10
            As good as possible.
            Being a big fan of Hugo Pratt's comic, I was pleased with this animated adaptation of Corto Maltese. The plot was most faithful to the original graphic novel, the dialogue being used almost verbatim. This must've been somewhat risky, since the story isn't exactly easy to follow. Animated features cost more than comics, so they also need bigger audiences, and the film-makers must've been tempted to tighten the pace and cut some of the historical references. Luckily, they haven't done so.

            The drawing style is also truthful to Pratt, and the animation is as good as it can be without a Disney budget. Regarding this, one could even say that the faithfulness of the adaptation is a limiting factor. Pratt's contemplative and somewhat static form of storytelling is perhaps unfitting for an animated film, since animation has a different set of dynamics than comics.

            The biggest flaw with the film is something that couldn't have been helped: the original comic is a long series of stories, of which the film can offer only a slice. Pratt's world isn't the easiest to enter, and seeing one film (or reading one comic, to that matter) probably isn't enough to make one see what's so special about Corto Maltese. The friendship between Corto and Rasputin, one of the most interesting aspects of the comic, is well conveyed in this particular story. But to wholly understand this relationship one needs to know their past - which the film can only refer to. The film-makers' choice of not starting from the beginning is understandable, since the first Corto Maltese story isn't the best or the most filmable of the bunch.

            To sum it up: while I liked the film very much, someone not familiar with the comic probably doesn't get as much out of it. The best thing this film can do is to acquaint such people with Pratt's masterful work.
            helpful•24
            1
            • The Truth
            • Sep 25, 2002

            Details

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            • Release date
              • September 25, 2002 (France)
            • Countries of origin
              • France
              • Italy
              • Luxembourg
            • Official sites
              • Gébéka Films (France)
              • Mediatoon distribution (France)
            • Language
              • French
            • Also known as
              • Corto Maltese in Siberia
            • Filming locations
              • Cuba
            • Production companies
              • Home Made Movies
              • Rai Fiction
              • France 2 Cinéma
            • See more company credits at IMDbPro

            Box office

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            • Budget
              • €4,500,000 (estimated)
            • Gross worldwide
              • $1,254,978
            See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

            Technical specs

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            • Runtime
              1 hour 32 minutes
            • Color
              • Color

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