Folk Tale Films ?

[weedie]

G'day there,
Our family watched the film,"The Secret of Roan Inish" last night ( again ) and really enjoyed it ( again ) and after it ended,our niece asked if I knew of any other movies like that.
I could'nt think of any,so I thought I'd ask here..
Anyone know of any Folky,Fantasy,Fairy Tale types of film like Roan Inish ? ..... especially ones with some nice Music ? ..
Thanks and best wishes......weedie....

[MTGuru]

Maybe ...

Into the West: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104522/
The Water Horse: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0760329/
Whale Rider: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298228/

[emmline]

Interesting...just tonight at dinner (Indian, very good...) we were discussing the film Big Fish and recalling that the storyline
centered around a character given to telling what are, apparently, very tall tales (replayed as flashbacks.) A theme of the film, as narrated
by the son of the tall tale teller, has to do with whether it really matters whether the tales are true or "enhanced," in light of the lessons
they convey, and the aspects of the character of the teller revealed by the telling. Now I'm talking like Jack Sparrow. Sorry.
Well, for some reason the dreamy-like nature of Roan Inish reminds me in a way of Big Fish. And also, they both end with the syllable "ish."

[dwest]

Selkies really aren't folk tales, nor are waterhorses, each uisges, or water hounds, Dobharchús, they are endangerd species though.

[weedie]

Thanks MT,
My video shop has all those films so I'll give them a viewing to you as usual ..
I'll have a look for Big Fish as well emmline....
I think I might like to come back as a Selkie ....those webbed feet could pose a bit of a problem changing gears on the Ducati though !!!

[Seonachan]

There's a Scottish Gaelic feature film (aka the Scottish Gaelic feature film) called Seachd: the Inaccessible Pinnacle, that has a similar theme to Big Fish - a grandfather who tells outlandish stories (ranging from poisoned lovers and water horses to a magician surviving the Clearances and the origin of the Scottish love of potatoes) and a grandson trying to make sense of it, him, and the story behind the death of his parents. An imperfect film to be sure, but worth watching if you can find it - it out on dvd in region 2 format.

there's a trailer at http://www.seachd.com

And on the subject of Gaelic films with folklore themes, there are two shorts worth mentioning. The Wake of Calum MacLeod, from Cape Breton, and a wonderful animated piece called The Pipers of Bornish that uses a field recording of a storyteller as its main audio track.

trailer for Wake is at http://www.wakeofcalummacleod.ca
or watch the whole thing at http://watch.bravofact.com/bravofact-sh ... clip236384

clip of Pipers of Bornish is at http://www.ambocsa.co.uk/engpb.html

Nice music in all 3 films, by the way.

[brianormond]

"The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" for lots of cannon boomery and outlandish plot developments, some true to the old tall tales. Directed by Terry Gilliam with lots of name actors and former Pythons. The staging of the "H. Salt Esquire" theatre troupe is worth the price of admission alone.


-A gentler adventure is "Spirited Away" a Miyazake animated feature about a little girl stepping by mistake into a spirit land and managing by dint of spunk & compassion. Its animated and seems crudely done at first until the story opens out into colorful,
striking visuals. Its a satisfying story for kids and engaging for adults too.

[mutepointe]

Pan's Labyrinth, someone recommended that movie on here a long time ago. I was glad they did.

[Seonachan]

Three folktale/fable films from the frozen north, all intense but excellent:

Atanarjuat, The Fast Runner - Canadian Inuit film depicting a thousand year old legend of a community brought to the brink by generations of family feuding

Heart of Light - Greenlandic Inuit film about a man who finds redemption from tragedies of modern life in a journey to the outback, and to the past, with the help of a mythical hermit.

Pathfinder (Ofelas) - a Sami (Laplander) film about a young man who saves his people from marauders from the south.

[jsluder]

Get a copy of Jim Henson's "The Storyteller". I prefer the original 9 with John Hurt as the storyteller, but the Greek myth stories (with Michael Gambon) are good, too.

[A-Musing]

Methinks emmline's temporary transfiguration into Jack Sparrow bespeaks an inner folk tale of a sort?

I seem to notice thing like that.

[gonzo914]

More films based on folk tales --

The Ten Commandments

The Greatest Story Ever Told

You can look up the rest yourself here.

[weedie]

Thanks folks.....there's plenty there to consider ...
Gonzo..you're a naughty boy,you'll be in trouble for :poke:ing !

[gonzo914]

Gonzo..you're a naughty boy,you'll be in trouble . . .

Nah . . More likely just chewed out, and I been chewed out before.

[weedie]

It's a bit the same here Gonzo....I'm usually in the s**t....It's just the depth that varies ..