User Reviews

Years ago in my Junior High School we did in an amateurish way what Raul DaSilva did here with the Rime Of The Ancient Mariner. The art class was encouraged to draw Halloween style pictures of ghosts and goblins and all things that go bump in the night. The drawings were then used in a film to Danse Macabre. My own insignificant efforts were part of it.

What DaSilva did here is exactly what we did, but in a most professional and entertaining manner. Using illustrations and some sea cinematography he fashioned a short film based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's celebrated poem. Topping it all off is the narration by Michael Redgrave which gave life and meaning to Coleridge's occasionally obscure references.

This project was the farewell performance even though it is only auditory of Michael Redgrave. He lived another ten years before the ravages of Parkinson's Disease claimed him. It was a fitting if not traditional role to go out on. Certainly Redgrave knew he could not do any more after this, even the disease might well have betrayed his voice.

I've got to dedicate this review to Robert Seiden music teacher and Philip Tritt art teacher. In a profession that attracts at times some time serving slugs and I had my share of them, these two really took the job seriously. If you're still around I hope you get to read this review and I hope you're big fans of Michael Redgrave.

1st watched 9/14/2001 - 6 out of 10(Dir-Raul de Silva): Interesting adaptation of poetry on film, as well as a short documentary on the poet(Samuel Coleridge) in the 1st half of this video. Not quite as breathtaking as it could have been if they had decided to actually make a movie about this, but this is definetly a different art form and it should be valued as that and not compared to a movie rendition. Redgrave keeps you captivated by his consistent influctuations in his voice in the parts that needed it. The animation was ok but not spectacular but it did give you a little help in following the story if you don't happen to be a good listener of olde English(like myself). All in all this is a different and interesting viewing experience, which is always good to have when you've watched hundred of movies like myself.

As an temporary adjunct instructor at a small college in Rochester, NY I had complained to my friend, the late Hollywood actor, Sterling Hayden (who had been a master of tall ships as a young man before being discovered by Paramount Pictures) that I was having trouble getting my students to take the time to read Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner let alone study it. Sterling, who loved the piece, countered that since I was a successful filmmaker; why not try to bring the epic poem to life on film? He urged me more than once.

After some struggle I located enough funding to put together the efforts of fine illustrators from both the 19th and 20th Centuries who had rendered scenes from the epic poem. This would visualize a hoped for narration by a gifted actor.

Also with some research I soon discovered that British actor, Sir Michael Redgrave had once taught the poem as a schoolmaster early in his career. I flew to London and had him narrate the poem for me. He did a very fine reading, exactly as written by Coleridge. The film took two years to complete due to the highly technical nature of photoanimation performed on an Oxberry Master series animation stand for the visualization and my efforts to film the art using good technique and exposures.

The six international film festival prizes and universal media critical acclaim that followed aside, what I found most rewarding was the letters from teachers as far away as Australia where the film had been broadcast --- thanking me for helping to make this great, immortal piece of literature, written in Coleridge's rough idea of Elizabethan English, accessible to their students. Sterling Hayden was right all along and many students and lovers of the poem are in his debt.

As it is the epic poem speaks to the sanctity of all life on earth- a message perhaps more appropriate today than when it was first imagined and written in 1798. No longer available on VHS it has been available on DVD since April, 2007. Please go to www.Amazon,com to see the DVD listing for this film.

The production received first place recognition in international competition at five of six film festivals in the United States. Of the six entries, it received six prizes. The two primary artists used in the depiction from the past two centuries, Gustave Dore and Willy Pogany are both well known throughout the world. This was one way to salute them and express gratitude for their efforts with the Coleridge work, which I found extraordinary. If the viewer understands they are separated by many decades and why they were united here, the idea to have one style in the film is subjugated.

Raul daSilva, producer-director.

The Ancient Mariner is a truly classic piece of work, as the original poem was/is. The context/setting with the old mariner himself is fine, clear, and without pretense. The artistic work that accompanies the reading of the poem fits perfectly the time/period of the setting and of the work itself, carrying the audience into the period with a still, yet moving accompaniment, using excellent still-movement strategies only well conquered by the pre-MTV era producers and much less apparent in more current works. (MTV brought to television and video a static movement that races through, often irrelevant cuts, from theme to theme without forward movement and without clear relationships to theme or storyline.) The voice, intonation and vitality of Redgrave's reading brings this touching poem to life with all its fear, strife and pain. In addition, the smooth movement of the video emphasizes the cadence and occasional monotone (in this case a positive mood under the theme of the story itself)of the author's rendition of the ancient mariner's sad and spooky tale. This is a must for any love of classic poetry, the sea, a tall tale, that almost rings true, and a story that has left a lasting impact on our world and culture. Who does not understand the meaning of an "albatross"? or the concept of "water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink?" A truly fine experience. Thank you Mr. DaSilva for bringing this to life for us, never to be forgotten.

I first saw this video 15 years ago. I thought it was excellent then and I still do. I am a former teacher of English (high school and college) and a lover of English Romantic poetry, so Coleridge rates highly with me. Anything which might detract from the beauty of the poem or the power of the story wouldn't get my vote of excellence. In this case, everything works well to engage the viewer, especially high school students. The story is well illustrated for a generation which grew up on television. In addition, the voice of Michael Redgrave adds a sense of authenticity and authority to it. Okay, so there wasn't a big budget for the project. So it wasn't Star Wars and there's no CGI in it. But who can dismiss Gustave Doré illustrations as part of the presentation? The comment above, which in just four lines dismisses the video as a piece of trash, is grossly unfair and unperceptive. I'm a friend of the producer, but that isn't my reason for this comment. Rather, I'm defending a work of artistry which I think has value on all levels. It is well suited to bring Coleridge's poem to students in a way which awakens their appreciation of it and awakens their sympathy for the lesson which the ancient mariner imparts.

The blend of biography with poetry and live action with animation makes this a true work of art. The narration by Sir Michael Redgrave is moving. The length of the work makes it easily accessible for class room exposure or TV/Video time slots.

This filmed presentation of "the Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is a most beautiful and interesting rendition of Coleridge's haunting poem. The striking cinematography, combined with a collection of two centuries of efforts to illustrate the epic poem of 1798 by world famous artists, and Michael Redgrave's superb narration, are very well worth the time to view this excellent visual work.

In the age of television, such work as this is an invaluable tool to induce young students, as well as adults, to explore and to learn the value of great poetry. To the best of my knowledge,this kind of work is indeed rare; that is regrettable. As a student of world literature and as a former college professor and academic counselor, I feel that more great epic poems like Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" should be so "translated." Although not a movie critic, but as an avid reader of classic literature, I am glad to recommend this fine production without any reservations whatsoever.

Recently, a friend and I were discussing educational and ethical influences when we were growing up in the 1950's versus today. She mentioned Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who, in 1798, wrote The Rime of The Ancient Mariner. Both of us had been required to recite parts of the epic poem in high school and in English Literature courses in college. My friend said, "Its messages even might be called metaphysical within today's context."

We tried reciting it and only remembered bits and pieces. (I have problems remembering Dr. Seuss.) I said I'd get two copies of the poem so each could read it. That was easy enough, but I was extremely surprised to find it had been made into a film. We looked forward to watching the film to see how it had been interpreted. After all, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner isn't exactly light reading. After each had read the poem, we watched the film together.

We considered the film a remarkable achievement, especially considering it was made in the 1970's, before computers, before the so-called "Ken Burns effect," and before special effects too often began compensating for a lack of substance. Particularly noteworthy are the 19th and 20th century illustrations culled from "lesser known artists," such as Willy Pogany, the early Hollywood designer.

The film is narrated by Sir Michael Redgrave, whom had taught the poem when he was a schoolmaster, adding a tone of authority and credibility in remaining true to the poem.

Its mastery is in the layers of subtle messages, conveyed without "instructing," or becoming an oppressive and obvious morality tale. We found it such a refreshing change from today's 'in your face' and 'clobber them over the head' mentality. Most of today's morality messages in film are two-dimensional: extreme violence, murder and mayhem mark the bad. The bad are really, really, bad, and good are super heroes. It is as if human character lacked any nuance. The Rime of The Ancient Mariner is a celebration of the individual, of character, of an appreciation for celebrating all the richness life has to offer, within the larger context of humanity, i.e., man's capacity to give to others.

Proud of ourselves for having found this "unknown" gem, we then learned it had won the top award in its category five out of six times at "name" international film festivals. Another surprise was learning the film's director, Raul daSilva, is a recognized authority on early animation, and authored six award winning books about film.

This film's message is just as relevant today, if not more so, than when Coleridge penned the original epic poem and when Raul daSilva translated it to film. If I still was teaching high school, which I did for five years, I'd grab this one and show it to all my students. There's a level of richness here that naturally leads to discussion about the big and important issues all of us face, whether in 1798, 1978, or today--in fact, as long as humanity has a spiritual component.

Highly recommended.

This is by far the worst movie of all time.

This is not a movie. This is an audio book with over elaborate illustrations and awkwardly placed scenes of live action. The first part of the movie is a horribly dry prologue called "The Strangest Voyage", and if you happen to survive through that, prepare to be disappointed because it gets even drier and more boring. Really, you should just read the poem yourself.

Let's talk about aesthetics for a moment. The movie is almost like a picture book, and I can see where they might be have been going with it, but it's not executed properly AT ALL. Whenever they show a still image they pan and zoom the camera around in an attempt to keep you awake and it just looks stupid. There are live action shots, too, and their photography is terrible. Not only this, but the imagery is just random. It's entirely made up of various representations of the sea, the ship, and the characters. It's almost as if the illustrators had nothing better to do but spend hours drawing these elaborate drawings for a well-known poem, and for that matter, the illustrations look like engravings colored in by a kindergärtner.

If this movie was ever good, then it was back in 1975, because its age shows. I don't understand how you could watch and enjoy this. Just read the original poem. Don't watch this. It is more awful than any movie I have ever seen, and being a fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000 I've seen a lot of bad movies. This movie is horrible. Any educational value it has is washed away by its dryness and sent into the Land of Mist and Snow.

28 years ago, I had the opportunity to view the film, fresh off the presses, so to speak. This visualization of the timeless classic, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, produced by writer-director, Raúl daSilva, was actually completed in 1975, and is a first-of-its kind film. The director once lived here, in Rochester, NY. When he produced it, he was the executive producer for Eastman Kodak's industrial ad agency. Rochester is one of the three cities where it was created. The others are London and New York City. Some seascapes were taken as far south as the Cayman Islands. The original reason he created this reading of the timeless epic poem was to help students better understand it. The Coleridge work heralded in the Romantic movement in English literature.

In my view, shared by Library Journal, NPR, PBS and other critical reviews, Raul daSilva greatly succeeded. The film received a rave review from the Democrat & Chronicle when it premiered here at the Eastman House Dryden Theater. The reviewer noted that the director also wanted to celebrate the efforts of past illustrators to bring life to the great poem.

Among those illustrators is the historically significant 19th Century engraver, Gustave Doré, whose illustrations brought visual power to this and other poems and stories. By incorporating Doré's illustrations, the film succeeds on two levels: one, in bringing to the screen the immortal poem itself; and two, in letting viewers enjoy the work of a great illustrator.

This Samuel Taylor Coleridge work speaks to the sanctity of all life on Earth. Although written in 1798, the world still struggles to get its message.

I highly recommend this video to individuals, public libraries and for high school and college classic literature classes. This is an excellent film in which creative visualization of a classic poem makes it come alive. We feel the dynamics of the Samuel Taylor Coleridge's words as spoken by the Ancient Mariner. It is as if we are both the listener and the Mariner. When the dead albatross falls from the Mariner's neck, we too are transformed through love in our hearts and understanding of our fellow humans. We hope for a better outcome to the struggles we now face in our own world of war and violence. Director Raul daSilva did an outstanding job in making this poem not only understandable but also to arouse our sensitivity. The incorporation of Doré's illustrations, visual effects of colors, the well-chosen classical music and sounds of the sea all enhanced our senses and deepened our emotional experience with the poem. BRAVO to daSilva and his team. Well done!!

After seeing this piece, I couldn't feel anything but pity for Coleridge. His poem, a true classic, is truly mishandled in this bumbling attempt to glorify an epic that doesn't need the favor. The rhythm is off, the drawings are rather ugly and confusing, and the live-action shots are stupid (and often misplaced). The feel of the poem is lost and muddled.