"Strojenie instrumentów" or "Tuning the Instruments" is a 15-minute short film from Poland, but don't worry: There is no dialogue in here, so you won't need subtitles. All you hear is basically the music. This one was made in 2000, so it's already over 15 years old. The writer and director is Jerzy Kucia and thanks to all the awards he won here, this is his most known work to-date, maybe his only known work one could say. I cannot agree with the awards bodies though. Story is non-existent in here and the animation is blatantly forgettable, especially for a film from the 21st century. I found it a pretty boring watch and not recreational or even inspiring at all. It drags a lot and that's quite an achievement for such a short movie. I don't recommend the watch and 4 stars is still pretty generous here.
4 Reviews
Mesmerising
dawidbleja24 July 2001
In one part of this artistically and technically inspired animated short film, the eye travels leftwards: past buildings, beautifully changing shape, colour, and texture, past rows of seemingly abstract shapes, which turn into what appear to be rows of trees, and then - before your very eyes, yet without you noticing it - into rows of marching soldiers. Like most great films, I know I will have to see this at least four more times before I have a satisfactory appreciation of it. One of the richest, most engaging, and technically impressive films I have ever seen.
Kaleidoscopic array of colors, shapes, and sounds
hofnarr12 March 2004
Alarm clock rings. Black and white segmented human form gets up. The alarm runs down, the human figure is full form and begins to exercise. Snatches of music heard, as if radio is being tuned across the dial. Knee bends. Push ups. Smidgens of piano music and flashes of light. A violin plays. The man puts on a suit, goes outside and the film is in color - birds and train sounds are heard.
He starts the motorcycle.
From this point on the piano (and other instruments - variously string bass, trumpet, violin, cello) play counter-point to the rhythm of the engine. Images of train yards, people walking, soldiers marching, varied animals and other items impinge upon the eyes - some shapes morphing into others fluidly.
Incredibly proficient technically; one viewing certainly not sufficient for any sort of lucid analysis. Quite the experience.
He starts the motorcycle.
From this point on the piano (and other instruments - variously string bass, trumpet, violin, cello) play counter-point to the rhythm of the engine. Images of train yards, people walking, soldiers marching, varied animals and other items impinge upon the eyes - some shapes morphing into others fluidly.
Incredibly proficient technically; one viewing certainly not sufficient for any sort of lucid analysis. Quite the experience.
For the More Experience Palate
Hitchcoc30 July 2019
This is one of those films that uses a host of images, many of them foggy and imprecise, set to a contemporary score. There are some good images and some that are strained to work. I'm not expert enough in surrealism to really comment intelligently. I have to say after about the first third, I was trying to find something else to do. But I am generous with the avant-garde.
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