Heroic Times

Jozsef Gemes's 1984 Hungarian animation tells a medieval epic. A man of extraordinary strength and fierce temper is drawn into a killing by his brother's provocation; on the run he tries to become a knight and sees what war is. What distinguishes it is the technique. Every frame was painted by hand in oils; the result is less a cartoon than a series of moving paintings. The method took years and produced a work rare in the animation of its period. The narrative does not exalt heroism. The man wants to be a knight but the order he meets has nothing to do with nobility; the battle scenes are ugly and the victories empty. It rests on a Hungarian epic poem. Who it's for: those interested in experimental animation and painting techniques. Who it's not for: young viewers; the film contains violence and its tone is dark.