Corto Maltese: The Secret Court of the Arcane (2002)
At the end of 1918 while civil war is raging on in Russia, antagonism is slowly spreading to the East, between the Oral mountains and Shanghai. Stuck between a desire to save what's left of the great Imperial Russia, and starting from a clean slate, old generals, secret organizations, and mercenaries attracted by gold, struggle to take advantage of the events. As Corto Maltese returns to Shanghai, he barely gets time to cross paths with his old friend/nemesis Rasputin, and escape a murder attempt before being contacted by members of a Chinese secret organization called "The Red Lanterns". In the heart of violent Manchurian horizons, Corto and Rasputin launch themselves into a fabulous treasure hunt, following the tracks of the mysterious armor-plated train of Kolchak. A steel monster spiked with canons and machine guns, this trains protects the counter-revolutionaries gold...
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Wonderful character development!
Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Hugo Pratt was a master narrator. His comic book adventures of Corto Maltese were elegant and unique, with charismatic dreamer Corto, his ruthless companion Rasputin (a creature of pure Id and malevolence who still miraculously came across as sympathetic), exotic settings and memorable secondary characters.La Cour Secrète des Arcanes is a worthy adaptation of Corto's best adventure. With stylish art direction, a pleasant soundtrack and an effective atmosphere, this cartoon is intriguing and features characters of remarkable depth like Ungern Khan and the exceptional Shangai Lil.End of WWI: adventurer Corto Maltese is recruited by a secret society to recover the treasure of the Tsars; his companions are friendly rival Rasputin and enigmatic Shangai Lil. To say more would be a pity - don't be deceived by the outrageously low IMDb rating.I believe Pratt would have loved this, and there can be no greater compliment.8/10
And still think that I was right but I admit that this was close. Very close. The other day I was going to lend it to a friend, he didn't know it was animated and I hadn't realized about it. When I mentioned it my friend looked at me as if he was disappointed. But I kind of insisted. Some days later, once he had already seen it, he told me he was surprised about the quality an animated film can have. So, I don't say I am a manga fan but why do people have the concept of animated films as childish??? People have these awful concepts don't they.Finally I think a story/legend/tale/myth like Corto Maltese should have his higher and deserved place in popular knowledge and we the ones that know him should collaborate to it. We must not let him stay away as he did frequently in his stories.
I am a big Corto Maltese and Hugo Pratt fun and in a way a cinephile. This movie was unfortunately a disappointment. It only captures very small parts of Corto's character and the general mysticism normally surrounding this hero and his adventures. In fact, everyone in the movie seems to have acquired a French attitude and face (incl. the Chinese) and I think only Rasputin is close to the enjoyable and surreal persona of Pratt. The animation is fairly well made but it becomes especially week in times of action. The more dreamy sceneries and scenes were much better. Overall, not a movie that I would see again (despite my love for Corto) but not one that I would totally reject. See it as a homage but dont expect anything breathtaking as the original graphical novel(s).
Being a big fan of Hugo Pratt's comic, I was pleased with this animated adaptation of Corto Maltese. The plot was most faithful to the original graphic novel, the dialogue being used almost verbatim. This must've been somewhat risky, since the story isn't exactly easy to follow. Animated features cost more than comics, so they also need bigger audiences, and the film-makers must've been tempted to tighten the pace and cut some of the historical references. Luckily, they haven't done so.The drawing style is also truthful to Pratt, and the animation is as good as it can be without a Disney budget. Regarding this, one could even say that the faithfulness of the adaptation is a limiting factor. Pratt's contemplative and somewhat static form of storytelling is perhaps unfitting for an animated film, since animation has a different set of dynamics than comics.The biggest flaw with the film is something that couldn't have been helped: the original comic is a long series of stories, of which the film can offer only a slice. Pratt's world isn't the easiest to enter, and seeing one film (or reading one comic, to that matter) probably isn't enough to make one see what's so special about Corto Maltese. The friendship between Corto and Rasputin, one of the most interesting aspects of the comic, is well conveyed in this particular story. But to wholly understand this relationship one needs to know their past - which the film can only refer to. The film-makers' choice of not starting from the beginning is understandable, since the first Corto Maltese story isn't the best or the most filmable of the bunch.To sum it up: while I liked the film very much, someone not familiar with the comic probably doesn't get as much out of it. The best thing this film can do is to acquaint such people with Pratt's masterful work.