The Quay brothers style is at it's best here, with beautiful, surreal puppets telling the story of Czech animator Jan Svankmajer's life. The expressionist, stop-motion puppet work is perfectly suited to tell the story of Svankmajer's own surreal film-making. Split into several sections, the puppets (one expressing Svankmajer himself) act out the scenes, with maze-like, unidentifiable sets, dancing pins and a mesmerising soundtrack. All these elements combine into a treat for the eyes, and a severe hammering to the brain. The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer is a marvellous short, particularly of interest to fans of Svankmajer himself.
10 Reviews
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kurosawakira12 January 2014
If you're into film, you're most likely familiar with Stephen and Timothy Quay as well as Jan vankmajer. Remarkably talented stop-motion animators, they are also distinctly different and for that reason alone worth seeing together.
This film is easy to see as a mere acknowledgment, but it's more than that. vankmajer definitely features in the film as the strangely madcap creator of illusions in his cabinet; the ambiguity then arises from the fact the boy, to me at least, is the one who explores the world and has the pep and spiritedness. He's the one whose mind is explored, put on the table and ultimately stuffed with the things the creator wants.
When I think of vankmajer, I think of a bleak reality that translates to socio-political commentary in filmic terms. The Brothers Quay, however, I associate with purely cinematic stories, their metaphorical film language not so much describing even allegorically any external condition but rather triggering solely visual reactions, much like Joyce's "Finnegans Wake", to which I already referred to in an earlier review. For me the Quay's speak more. Not that it has to be either or.
This film is easy to see as a mere acknowledgment, but it's more than that. vankmajer definitely features in the film as the strangely madcap creator of illusions in his cabinet; the ambiguity then arises from the fact the boy, to me at least, is the one who explores the world and has the pep and spiritedness. He's the one whose mind is explored, put on the table and ultimately stuffed with the things the creator wants.
When I think of vankmajer, I think of a bleak reality that translates to socio-political commentary in filmic terms. The Brothers Quay, however, I associate with purely cinematic stories, their metaphorical film language not so much describing even allegorically any external condition but rather triggering solely visual reactions, much like Joyce's "Finnegans Wake", to which I already referred to in an earlier review. For me the Quay's speak more. Not that it has to be either or.
A Noble Homage
Eumenides_017 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Having recently become acquainted with Jan Svankmajer's work, I found it a wonderful piece of coincidence that I should discover the Quay brothers, brilliant stop-motion animators in their own right, through this short movie. Perhaps not a coincidence: they owe a lot to Svankmajer and this homage shows it.
In Prague, a puppeteer takes in an apprentice. He opens his brain, empties it and symbolically fills with a book; evidently this is the imagination and knowledge the Quays have received from this master. This is the basic plot.
But I'll argue we can also find a bigger world of inspirations in this movie. The puppeteer, with the book on his head is clearly a reference to Giuseppe Arcimboldo's famous picture, Librarian. At one point we see the cabinet reflected in a crystal ball, much like an M. C. Escher painting. And the dolls and puppets are themselves throwbacks to the early surrealist movies. This is a lovely celebration of weird art throughout history.
As for the movie itself, it's inventive and sometimes creepy. The Quays have a talent for creating surreal imagery that exudes mystery and dread. This is a movie to delight in its strangeness. Still, it looks more like an introduction than something in its own right. I certainly hope the Quay brothers have more to offer.
In Prague, a puppeteer takes in an apprentice. He opens his brain, empties it and symbolically fills with a book; evidently this is the imagination and knowledge the Quays have received from this master. This is the basic plot.
But I'll argue we can also find a bigger world of inspirations in this movie. The puppeteer, with the book on his head is clearly a reference to Giuseppe Arcimboldo's famous picture, Librarian. At one point we see the cabinet reflected in a crystal ball, much like an M. C. Escher painting. And the dolls and puppets are themselves throwbacks to the early surrealist movies. This is a lovely celebration of weird art throughout history.
As for the movie itself, it's inventive and sometimes creepy. The Quays have a talent for creating surreal imagery that exudes mystery and dread. This is a movie to delight in its strangeness. Still, it looks more like an introduction than something in its own right. I certainly hope the Quay brothers have more to offer.
A nice homage....but why not just watch a Svankmajer film instead?
planktonrules20 May 2020
"The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer" is a film that is a tribute to the strange work of this Czech filmmaker. Svankmajer is known for making many stop-motion pictures which feature a strange and creepy sense of humor. I personally love Svankmajer's work but his films are certainly NOT for everyone. They are mega-strange, surreal and some are filled with father repellent images.
In this film, you see what essentially looks much like a Svankmajer short...with creepy dolls (with their wigs missing and giant cavities where brains would be) and a main character with a book for a head! It's all very confusing and strange...and much like a Svankmajer film. My only complaint is that it's NOT a Svankmajer film and I really think this Czech master filmmaker would have done this better. An interesting homage and Svankmajer-like film...but not up to his usual quality or sense of humor.
In this film, you see what essentially looks much like a Svankmajer short...with creepy dolls (with their wigs missing and giant cavities where brains would be) and a main character with a book for a head! It's all very confusing and strange...and much like a Svankmajer film. My only complaint is that it's NOT a Svankmajer film and I really think this Czech master filmmaker would have done this better. An interesting homage and Svankmajer-like film...but not up to his usual quality or sense of humor.
also nice for fans of Arcimboldo
inkybrown26 February 2008
This is an excellent introduction to the work of the Quay Brothers and stop-motion animation. It is enjoyable for fans of Svankmajer, but also for fans of the painter Arcimboldo, whose paintings and characters are featured heavily in this short; most notably the Librarian, which is brought to 3D life as the lead puppet, and also characters from The Seasons, The Elements, and others: Vertumnus, Summer, Fire, and so forth. In fact, a subtitle in the film is Portrait of Svankmajer a la Arcimboldo. Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527 - 1593) was an Italian painter known for creating portraits composed of fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, and books, all arranged in a fashion that constitutes a portrait of a character which is represented by all those diverse elements.
Experimentation and Inspiration
Polaris_DiB10 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Interesting grasps of motion and artistry here. The Quay Brothers pay homage to their key inspiration, though I not knowing their key inspiration well enough couldn't tell if it's all them or all Svankmejer, though this is very distinctive and beautiful stuff.
Interestingly enough it reminds me a lot of Tool music videos, especially their one for Prison Sex (the room of cabinets, cabinets within cabinets, cabinets reacting to characters' curiosity, etc.), which leads me to believe that one Adam Jones is a Brothers Quay fan. Tool's video, however, seems to really focus on the creepy while this one seems a lot more interested in learning and motion. Must definitely be the Quay brothers seeing themselves as the pupil.
To tell the truth the most interesting part of this short is the segment called "The child learns a lesson in 1/24th second." In case you don't know (which you should, if you're interested in experimental stuff like this), a single frame of a motion picture shoots by at 1/24th a second, or there are 24 frames per second. Thus this is probably the most self-reflexive part of the film, a little postmodern in its approach to lessons and learning of the form, which is why it's basically a series of jump cuts and a play on time. Very cool.
--PolarisDiB
Interestingly enough it reminds me a lot of Tool music videos, especially their one for Prison Sex (the room of cabinets, cabinets within cabinets, cabinets reacting to characters' curiosity, etc.), which leads me to believe that one Adam Jones is a Brothers Quay fan. Tool's video, however, seems to really focus on the creepy while this one seems a lot more interested in learning and motion. Must definitely be the Quay brothers seeing themselves as the pupil.
To tell the truth the most interesting part of this short is the segment called "The child learns a lesson in 1/24th second." In case you don't know (which you should, if you're interested in experimental stuff like this), a single frame of a motion picture shoots by at 1/24th a second, or there are 24 frames per second. Thus this is probably the most self-reflexive part of the film, a little postmodern in its approach to lessons and learning of the form, which is why it's basically a series of jump cuts and a play on time. Very cool.
--PolarisDiB
A great homage to Jan Svankmajer
Rectangular_businessman18 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This beautiful short made by the Brothers Quay (directors of the great animated short "Street of Cocodriles") It's a captivating tale about a master and his disciple. This may sound as something very simple, but the Brothers Quay always manage to create a unique, fascinating world, with strange but very interesting characters, and strange and surreal situations as well. The animation looks beautiful and stylish, just like the other films directed by the Brothers Quay, and this little homage to Jan Svankmajer definitely worth a look, specially if you are fan of filmmakers as Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton.
I liked this short a lot. I recommend it to anyone.
I liked this short a lot. I recommend it to anyone.
The Perfect short film to see before The Rocky Horror Picture Show
sageaqua20 June 2002
The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer, is a delight if your looking for a strange puppet animation short film of the highest water. You've seen nothing like it, unless you've seen the perfect work of The Brothers Quay. For fans, like myself of strange animation, and Fans, like myself of The Rocky Horror Picture Show this is that perfect short film to wet your appetite.
It's All Perception
Hitchcoc9 January 2024
I just read a reference to the Quay Brothers and in it was a description of their animation. So I sought out a couple of examples. In this one we have little boy doll. He has things in his head which are emptied out. From that point on he is missing the top of his head. A "person" with metallic arms (like probes) and a head that looks like an open book comes in and seems to be teaching. A petrified tarantula is probed, sight unseen, and information about it results in the old men and the elephant thing, where the observations are based on limited information. Along with this are movement of pins, sugar cubes, and other objects that come to life. I will seek out a few more of their works.
Quays go Svankmajer
Horst_In_Translation28 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This is the Quay Brothers' tribute to Jan Svankmajer, a Czech animation filmmaker who is considered to be among the finest in history in the genre. I cannot really agree with that. I am not too b'much of a Svankmajer fan, but even less of the Quay Brothers probably. Then again, if you like darker animation, you will probably enjoy this 14-minute short film a lot more than I did. It was made over 30 years ago and consists of several very short films that, taken together, make up this quarter of an hour. My overall verdict is a negative one though because I usually prefer my animation bright and fluffy, but also the stories in here didn't do too much for me. Thumbs down.
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