"Once upon a time..." is as classic an opening as you're likely to find. Stories that begin in such a way are usually fantasies, myths, or fables - The Storyteller is all three. No matter the subject, one thing is certain: these stories are all fascinating on a very primal level. This boxed set presents a pair of series, produced by Jim Henson, known as The Storyteller (1988) and The Storyteller: Greek Myths (1990). The Henson studio's unique and beautiful vision breathes life into these classic fables and creates some wonderful television. The result is a boxed set that, if you're interested in fantasy, you'll certainly want to check out.
The first disc contains all nine episodes from the John Hurt-hostedThe Storyteller. Hurt (who was nominated for an Oscar in The Elephant Man and plays the corrupt leader in V for Vendetta) is wonderful in the role of narrator and storyteller. Each episode opens and closes with Hurt and his scruffy dog companion. Michael Gambon fills the same role in the Greek Myths portion, and he's great, but Hurt manages to inject enough mystery and mischief to make you happy when he interrupts the story just so that you can see more of him.
The episodes found here are more Labyrinth than The Muppet Show. That is to say, the tone and overall design of the creatures is a tad frightening. I'm not ashamed to admit that as a child The Dark Crystal scared the bejesus out of me (not that it still does, no siree, not at all...) and I'm sure that some of the creatures in these episodes would give young children nightmares. If they can stick it through, though, there's something wonderful to be found: the power of stories.
Each episode explores a different myth, usually Greek, Russian, or German in origin. The first thing that will strike you about these fables is how bizarre they all are. From hedgehog men to a sack that can capture death itself, this is some really whacked-out stuff. But at the same time, it's also wholly original. The stories feel familiar and alien both at the same time. Many of the episodes don't have an easily recognizable theme, even though almost all of them end happily, and that makes the stories more appealing somehow. There are many layers of meaning in each story, covering a broad range of themes from betrayal to hope to love.
For example, The Soldier and Death tells the tale of a man who, with the help of a magical sack, managed to amass great fortune and respect. Not even Death himself was free from the soldier's wit. However, what happens when Death becomes too frightened to come for him? Oddly, it becomes a very tragic thing. Conversely,Orpheus and Eurydice tells the well-known tale of the man whose music was so beautiful it could charm Hades himself. While most of the episodes end happily, and feature a clear black-and-white moral, there are a few stories that are ambiguous and quite tragic.
Yet despite the strangeness of it all, the stories are still very compelling. With the exception of the Greek Myths section (which is great in its own right), all of the stories are not well known and this makes them very refreshing. These aren't simply retellings of stories that Disney has already brought to life, but fairytales that you probably haven't heard yet. Speaking for myself, each and every one was a new experience.
Produced in the late '80s the show utilizes what at the time must have been some cutting edge technology. It's sometimes dizzying trying to identify all of the techniques that were employed (and on a television budget no less!): you'll find green screen, miniatures, animation, and forced perspective all in the same shot.
Time, however, has not been kind to the effects. The show is not to be faulted for it, but several of the green screen efforts look quite primitive and fake and sometimes so many effects are combined in a single shot that it's difficult to tell what you're looking at. It took me until nearly the last episode to realize that the opening credits sequence basically has the camera coming out of the storyteller's mouth. On the other hand, the creatures are all fabulous. Each puppet, mask, and animatronic creature lives up to the Jim Henson name.
All of the Storyteller episodes are penned by Oscar-winner Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, Cold Mountain) so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the writing is excellent. However, that brings us to the show's main flaw: the episode runtime. Twenty-two minutes may be enough for a comedy, but rich stories such as these are hampered by the restricted length.
Characters are not given much room to breath and occasionally some big plot points (like where Perseus got his winged shoes) are left unaddressed. If this had been a forty-minute series, the show could really have been something great. The humor, while expected, doesn't always work and it seems that the overall tone of the show could have been enriched had the producers gone for a more lyrical feel and ditched the sarcasm outright.
With these episodes Jim Henson sits by a crackling fire, leans forward in his chair, and whispers: "Once upon a time...". So find a comfortable spot to sit, relax, and ready your imagination. Watching as a master storyteller works his magic is an experience you'll not soon forget. These stories, much like some of the best stories ever told, feel like dreams. 
0 comments:
Post a Comment