Staré povesti ceské

This is some of the most ambitious stop-motion that I've seen to date. Jiri Trnka wasn't at all intimidated by the technical challenges of the medium, and steamed ahead to tell "Old Czech Legends" without compromise.

The Character movements are executed so competently; only a master like Trnka could pull something like this off. The level of detail, volume of characters, and even the camera work leaves nothing other than "impressive" in my mind. Fire, smoke, spinning camera moves, walking in snow, crowds, birds, quadrupeds, delicate props and matte paintings... it's all here.

The European gestures are fun to watch, so unconventional when compared to traditional formulaic American animation. If you're a fan of stop-motion, or animation in general, this one's for you.

This animation can by purchased through Amazon Japan.