The Pied Piper is a 1986 Czechoslovak animated film directed by Jiří Barta. Its original Czech title is Krysař, which means "The rat catcher". The story is an adaptation of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, a fairy tale originated in medieval Germany. The film was one of Czechoslovakia's most ambitious animation projects of the 1980s, notable for its unusual dark art direction, innovative animation techniques and use of a fictitious language. The art design was heavily inspired by German Expressionism and medieval art.
Jiri Barta's adaptation of the Pied Piper of Hamelin has a beautiful handmade feel, that helps to create a creepy and expressionistic art style. The element of surrealism adds to the dark and twisted mood of this animation which plays to the dark version of the original folktale, in oppose to the more child-friendly modern version. The unusual use of sound and music creates a lot of tension in the animation, which are essential in creating a creepy/eerie atmosphere. I was particular interested in the style Jiri Barta uses for the environment of the town, often using different mediums, including wood carvings and paintings. The characters follow a similar art style, taking shape from wood carvings, and this along with stiff animation helps add to the success of the creepiness the animation achieves. This animation will definitely pose some influence in the decisions i make for my own animation, however i feel it's important for me to distance myself from this as i want to achieve my own unique art style and direction, that could take influence from this version, but doesn't bear too much of a resemblance.
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