Rabbit Ears: The Firebird
- Video
- 1994
- 38m
YOUR RATING
Photos
Storyline
Featured review
Beautiful firebird
It is hard to not think about 'The Firebird', as a title, without thinking of Igor Stravinsky's wonderful ballet, which was my introduction to Russian folk tales and where my high appreciation for them stemmed. High appreciation that has not gone away and never will. Have loved so much of Rabbit Ears Productions' work and there were brilliant adaptations in all the different series they did, and with composer Mark Isham and Susan Sarandon as narrator how could it fail?
Fail 'The Firebird' does not. There are even better adaptations in this particular group of Rabbit Ears Productions, but this will serve as a great introduction to Russian folk-tales, and folk-tales full stop even, and to the story. In terms of faithfulness, it is closer in detail and spirit to the original story 'The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa' than to Stravinsky's ballet (one of the more obvious differences being the villains being different, Kaschei the Immortal in the ballet and the tsar here and in the folk-tale).
Do prefer 'The Fool and the Flying Ship' as far as the company's adaptations of Russian folk-tales go and other adaptations of theirs entertain and move me more personally, but 'The Firebird' is still great.
The visuals are beautifully crafted by Robert Van Nutt, another relative regular for Rabbit Ears Productions who drew for a few of the company's gems (those including 'The Ugly Duckling', 'The Emperor and the Nightingale' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'). The visuals here are simple but very colourful and elegant, especially the wonderfully exotic backgrounds and the drawing for the firebird.
On the msuical front, 'The Firebird also excels. Isham was a relatively regular composer for the Rabbit Ears Productions adaptations too and his experience more than shows, it was hard at first to not imagine 'The Firebird' without Stravinsky's music but Isham's score doesn't make one miss it and it suits the tone of the story conveyed beautifully in its understated beauty but also authentic atmosphere.
Sarandon's narration is soothing and tender as well as authoritative, especially in the more intimate moments of the tale. The writing is sincere and poignant, as well as having the right amount of tension and target audience is not an issue here. The story has a big theme of the power of love and friendship, portrayed truly poignantly here in Rabbit Ears Productions' adaptation, also doing well showing the consequences of greed at the end. All the characters engage, even potentially bland Ivan. The titular character is enchanting.
All in all, wonderful. 9/10.
Fail 'The Firebird' does not. There are even better adaptations in this particular group of Rabbit Ears Productions, but this will serve as a great introduction to Russian folk-tales, and folk-tales full stop even, and to the story. In terms of faithfulness, it is closer in detail and spirit to the original story 'The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa' than to Stravinsky's ballet (one of the more obvious differences being the villains being different, Kaschei the Immortal in the ballet and the tsar here and in the folk-tale).
Do prefer 'The Fool and the Flying Ship' as far as the company's adaptations of Russian folk-tales go and other adaptations of theirs entertain and move me more personally, but 'The Firebird' is still great.
The visuals are beautifully crafted by Robert Van Nutt, another relative regular for Rabbit Ears Productions who drew for a few of the company's gems (those including 'The Ugly Duckling', 'The Emperor and the Nightingale' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'). The visuals here are simple but very colourful and elegant, especially the wonderfully exotic backgrounds and the drawing for the firebird.
On the msuical front, 'The Firebird also excels. Isham was a relatively regular composer for the Rabbit Ears Productions adaptations too and his experience more than shows, it was hard at first to not imagine 'The Firebird' without Stravinsky's music but Isham's score doesn't make one miss it and it suits the tone of the story conveyed beautifully in its understated beauty but also authentic atmosphere.
Sarandon's narration is soothing and tender as well as authoritative, especially in the more intimate moments of the tale. The writing is sincere and poignant, as well as having the right amount of tension and target audience is not an issue here. The story has a big theme of the power of love and friendship, portrayed truly poignantly here in Rabbit Ears Productions' adaptation, also doing well showing the consequences of greed at the end. All the characters engage, even potentially bland Ivan. The titular character is enchanting.
All in all, wonderful. 9/10.
helpful•61
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jun 11, 2021
Details
- Runtime38 minutes
- Color
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