I realize that this film has been remade several times, but there is no way I'll see any of the remakes after seeing this 1918 version. While some might find it charming or perhaps a classic, I just felt it was creepy and bizarre--sort of like morphing classical mythology with a fairy tale and "The Wizard of Oz" AND copious amounts of LSD!
The film is an allegorical tale about a couple of children who, with the help of a fairy and some ultra-weird new friends, go searching for the Blue Bird of Happiness. As for the friends, the fairy gives them a magic hat with which they can unlock the souls from a variety of objects and animals. With the hat, they are able to make their dog and cat look a lot like people and talk. But, it's even weirder when they unlock the souls within fire, water and bread(????). This motley crew goes from one odd vignette to another. But, by far, the creepiest and most disturbing is visiting dead Grandpa and Grandma and all the many little babies that had apparently died that would have been their brothers and sisters!! Who thinks of this stuff?! Most people wouldn't--provided they weren't off their meds!!
Apart from a creepy and incomprehensible story, the film does have a few things going for it--but only a few. The cinematography and sets, for 1918, were awfully impressive. Aside from that, I can't see much reason to watch this god-awful movie.
UPDATE: Despite my pledge, I have since seen two other versions--films that were as bad or worse than this one! The problem, no matter how impressive the cast or sets is the story--one that is just bonkers and non-entertaining to say the least.
The film is an allegorical tale about a couple of children who, with the help of a fairy and some ultra-weird new friends, go searching for the Blue Bird of Happiness. As for the friends, the fairy gives them a magic hat with which they can unlock the souls from a variety of objects and animals. With the hat, they are able to make their dog and cat look a lot like people and talk. But, it's even weirder when they unlock the souls within fire, water and bread(????). This motley crew goes from one odd vignette to another. But, by far, the creepiest and most disturbing is visiting dead Grandpa and Grandma and all the many little babies that had apparently died that would have been their brothers and sisters!! Who thinks of this stuff?! Most people wouldn't--provided they weren't off their meds!!
Apart from a creepy and incomprehensible story, the film does have a few things going for it--but only a few. The cinematography and sets, for 1918, were awfully impressive. Aside from that, I can't see much reason to watch this god-awful movie.
UPDATE: Despite my pledge, I have since seen two other versions--films that were as bad or worse than this one! The problem, no matter how impressive the cast or sets is the story--one that is just bonkers and non-entertaining to say the least.