Images. That’s what life consists of. Of the memories we make and of the people we meet. These experiences shape our story together. “Tale of Tales” by Russian filmmaker/animator Yuriy Norshteyn more than just a film about life. It’s like a poem, about every living creature around us.

Norshteyn examines his own psyche in this short film. We’re bombarded by beautiful images such as a train moving, a wolf running through a street, a child eating fruit in a tree during the beautiful winter, the summer, a wolf in the forest, and women dancing with their husbands. Suddenly, panic ensues and the husbands of the wives disappear in a flash. Letters fall into the hands of the women, and we learn that some of the husbands didn’t make it home. The stunning images are complemented by music of legendary composers, Bach and Mozart. The wolf watches everything, and acts as an observer of the life, much like Norshteyn, himself.

After the first viewing, I was completely confused, but knew that what I was watching was absolutely beautiful. With the second viewing, I liked it more, and realized it had a much deeper meaning. When I finished the third viewing, I realized that I could watch it 200 times, and still never understand it, just like Tarkovsky’s “Mirror”. I arrived at the conclusion that “Tale of Tales” is indeed a must see, and one of the most visually ravishing films ever made.

5 stars