Heroic Times

Streaming video - 1983

“A crime is a crime, even if committed by kings,” intones the narrator of director József Gémes’ animated portrait of the supposedly “heroic” age of medieval knights and kings, a sprawling and bloody tapestry of ruthless combat to rival Game Of Thrones. Based on an epic narrative poem by 19th century Hungarian writer János Arany, HEROIC TIMES has a unique visual style combining gorgeous oil paintings and 2-D animation, similar to the Japanese anime Belladonna of Sadness. Stylistically, the film is closer to sweeping medieval sagas like Aleksandr Ptushko’s Ilya Muromets, John Boorman’s Excalibur and Ralph Bakshi’s underrated version of The Lord of the Rings, tied together by the battle-wearied voice of the narrator: “I h...aunted the alien streets as a spirit of withered times.” more