The Heron and the Crane

Based on a Russian folk tale, this is the gentle fable of a crane and a heron who can’t seem to get over their pride and accept each other’s proposal of marriage.  As in his later masterpiece Tale of Tales, Norstein’s animation looks simple but is quite artful and beautiful, using multiplane techniques and mixed media.  The story is sweet and funny and charming but also heavy with melancholy.  Oh how we get in the way of our own happiness.  A lovely and poetic short, with fine music and narration as well.  There’s a Norstein “Complete Works” DVD floating around… I suspect the quality is poor, but I may have to take a chance on it.  Rating: Very Good (87)

IMDb