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The movie begins with a man flying to the moon in a rocket. He meets several people asking him where he’s from. Venus? Jupiter?\u00a0 “I’m from Earth” the man says before introducing himself as Tony. The men, still believing him to be an alien, understands this name as “Tonik” because any alien moon man wouldn’t have a normal human name.<\/p>\n
The protagonist, the good Baron Munchausen, is especially disbelieving as if he were from Earth, how come he had never seen him there?\u00a0 The men all toast each other, and drink wine – Tonik is the only one wearing any sort of space gear – and then they fly back to earth on a chariot pulled by a bunch of pegasi.<\/p>\n
This gives only a glimmer of the type of bizarre movie this is.\u00a0 Based on an actual historical figure who used to tell tall tales, the book was written in 1785 by Rudolf Erich Raspe. In it, the Baron tells unbelievable stories about how he rode cannon balls in the war, fighting crocodiles, and of course going to the moon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The film’s director, Karel Zeman, had spent a considerable time experimenting with what could be done with film, and it shows. Its entirety is a visual masterpiece. Comparing the combination of animation with live action similar to Monty Python sketches (while an accurate comparison) doesn’t do this justice. There is humor here, sure, but it is driven more by the story and events then purely absurdist situations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of the most delightful aspects of this film is that it doesn’t take itself seriously. Instead, you can almost feel the director winking at you while the bust on the front of a ship smokes a pipe, or when Munchausen and his horse jump off a cliff to land safely in the sea. For me, the comedy works.<\/p>\n
What also works, like I’ve stated before, is the visuals. Everything is covered in designs that make the movie appear to be part paper-cutout. Walls, pillars, ships, and so many other details move like pieces of paper. When spears poke out from behind a curtain in the sultan’s throne room, they are threatening all the same. While they may appear to be cut from paper, so is everything else. This gives a sense of threat and realism to everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One area where the movie falls down is in the acting. It is very stiff and rigid, and the characters don’t seem to have much depth to them. Tonik fades into the background and we never really get a sense of his interesting (and inventive) character. The princess they save does the same. Even our main character, the baron, seems only to be a pawn on a chessboard instead of anything really driving the story himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the end, this film is easily a masterpiece despite its faults. While its story line is simplistic, it is easy to follow. While its characters feel stiff, there are some genuinely funny lines and moments with them. This movie is something that I can’t recommend enough, especially if you love films or plays. Watch it.<\/p>\n
4.5\/5<\/p>\n
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