A Midsummer's Night Dream

Jiří Trnka's 1959 Czechoslovak film tells Shakespeare's comedy in puppet animation. Three worlds meet: the courtly couples, the tradesmen putting on amateur theatre, and the magical creatures of the forest. It was shot in widescreen, the first time puppet animation had been attempted at that scale. The sets were made by hand; the forest scenes are built from transitions of light and colour and the camera movement is painterly. There is almost no dialogue. The narrative advances through movement and music, with the text of the play summarised in voiceover. Trnka is among the founding figures of Czech animation and worked on this production for a long time. Who it's for: those who like puppet animation and classical adaptation. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a fast pace; the film lingers on its scenes.