I was lucky enough to be able to rent this obscure gem last week, and I was highly impressed with the image quality, the gorgeous color tones, and the story. The animation is purely wonderful, very fluid and realistic. I don't mind Karloff's narration, I feel it brought another level of enjoyment to the story. The tale is simple, yet profound. It starts with a young boy being held prisoner by the expectations of his family and the customs of the day. The constant restrictions eventually make the boy quite ill, and during his fever, he dreams of a boy-king in China who is also a prisoner of custom and routine. This king has never been allowed to touch anything real in his whole life. Everything is created for him, even the flowers of his garden are only glass. Both the king and the sad boy learn a great lesson from a small ordinary bird. I won't give it away, you'll just have to watch it! This is a great movie for everyone who loves stories, animation, or just great art. You won't be disappointed in this one.
Review of The Emperor's Nightingale
