The Scarlet Flower Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

The Scarlet Flower Blu-ray Movie Review

A Soviet Animation telling of Beauty and the Beast. One of the most beautiful of Soviet animation productions. A testament to the legacy of filmmaker Lev Atamanov.

A captain promises his beloved daughter a flower as a gift. The flower is plucked on travels and a beast appears to claim the flower as his own. The beast says that the captain can keep his life and keep the flower if he will promise his daughter in return. The beast promises to take good care of the daughter and to treat her well.

The captain doesn’t want to be a sacrifice but doesn’t want to give up his daughter so he decides his life can be taken while his daughter can avoid the beast – and his daughter can still get the promised flower. The daughter decides to swap places with her father against his will and ends up at the same place as the beast – seeing a beautiful environment around her, too.

The animation is breathtakingly beautiful. There is so much wonder and magic in the animation. The artistry is phenomenal and something special to behind. The joy of the filmmaking is in the radiant animation and it makes the story come to life. One of the best Soviet animated films. The art direction by Leonid Shvartsman (A Kitten Named Woof, Garland Made of Kids) and Aleksandr Vinokurov (The Adventures of Mowgli, The Snow Queen) well showcased.

The cinematography by Mikhail Druyan (The Adventures of Buratino, The Snow Queen) is one of the highlights of the production. The cinematography does a good job showcasing the animation style. Animation shines with the well-done visual cinematography of Druyan.

Composed by Nikolay Budashkin (Bride with a Dowry, Through Fire, Water and... Trumpets), The Scarlet Flower features beautiful and eloquent music. The score adds a lot of wonder to the filmmaking. The score enhances the storytelling and helps to bring out the best in the animation.

Edited by Lidiya Kyaksht (The Snow Queen, The Key), The Scarlet Flower is well-paced. The editing flows well and makes a big difference. The rhythm of the storytelling is poetic and graceful.

Written by Sergey Aksakov (story) and Georgiy Grebner (Salamander, Kreyser 'Varyag'), The Scarlet Flower handles the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast in a magnificent way. The storytelling is so enchanting and magical. Even as someone who has seen many other tellings of Beauty and the Beast over the years, I still found myself gripped by the story and pulled in by some of the other surprises in this version. The fable is beautiful and this telling of the story is a must-see.

Directed by Lev Atamanov (The Snow Queen, The Key), The Scarlet Flower is a masterpiece. Atamanov is such a gifted auteur. The filmmaking is lush and the storytelling serene. The poetic style of directing is something that makes the film all the more magical and it easily pulls one into the story. A must-see classic of Soviet animation. A masterpiece.

The Scarlet Flower Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Deaf Crocodile, The Scarlet Flower is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 full frame. The high-definition presentation is wonderful and the animation is so well showcased by the restoration. The incredible restoration work has helped ensure the animation looks breathtakingly beautiful on the release. The colorful and vibrant artistry is well reproduced throughout the release.

The Scarlet Flower Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Russian DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (with English subtitles). The English subtitles are well-done. The subtitles are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors. The presentation is highly enjoyable. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand on the release. The score is well reproduced.

The Scarlet Flower Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary on The Scarlet Flower by Rolf Giesen

The Scarlet Flower Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Scarlet Flower is a remarkably beautiful Soviet animation telling of the classic fable of Beauty and the Beast. The animation is stunning and the storytelling is fantastic. The majesty of the animation is incredible and makes it a must-see classic. Director Lev Atamanov (The Snow Queen) proves himself a master of animation. Highly recommended.