A great european animated movie, classy and pulpy, sawn by yours truely at Fantasia festival 2004!
Welcome to the world of Corto Maltese. Born in Malta in 1887 to a Gypsy mother and a British sailor father, and initiated at a young age into the mysteries and secrets of the stars, the oceans, fables and legends, Corto is now a soft-spoken, rootless Zen sailor and adventurer. The long slash on the palm of the left hand is self-inflicted, a luck line he’s carved himself out of dissatisfaction with the original, shorter one. And with adventures as wild and exotic as Corto’s, he’ll need every bit of that good fortune!
In 1919, Corto is relaxing in Hong Kong when a secret Chinese organization, the Red Lanterns, ask for his help in diverting an armoured train transporting a fortune in gold. This adventure will see him travel across the Far East, from China to Mongolia to Siberia, in an era when these regions were torn asunder by civil wars. His path will cross those of an American adventurer, a gang of counter-revolutionaries, secret associations, a Russian countess, Bolsheviks, unscrupulous Imperial troops—and flocks of giant butterflies.
Finally, Corto Maltese, the iconic adventurer who sprang from the pen of widely-admired cartoonist Hugo Pratt, has made his way to the big screen. This animated adaptation of the book "Corto Maltese in Siberia" is sub-titled La Cour Secrète des Arcanes, a direct translation of the original Italian title "Corte Sconta Detta Arcana"—proof of director Pascal Morelli’s deep respect for Pratt’s original work.
Morelli effectively transposes the world of Corto Maltese to animation with fine, supple artwork, a contemplative rhythm, a dream-like musical score, colours of rare intensity, the voice of Richard Berry in the role of Corto Maltese and the captivating voice of late Marie Trintignant.
The film is a trip through the wilds of central Asia and the snows of Siberia, through time, hopes, disasters and lusts. A distinctive film inspired by a distinctive universe—a celebration of individualism in a world of madness.
—Marc Lamothe (translated by Marc Lamothe)
Link to the trailer (french)Cortomaltese.comA fan's website