Name: Vpered, vremya!
Genre: Animation, Short
Duration: 18 min
Rating: 6.5
Cast: Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy

'Time, Forward' is not my favourite type of animated short film and it is a type where the execution has been variable. Despite loving Soviet animation, propaganda has varied in animation and it was not Soyuzmultfilm's forte either (only because they were so good at fantasy, adapting fairytales and folktales, revolving a story around pre-existing classical music, which played to their strengths more). Saw it anyway for completest sake and because Vladimir Tarasov is an interesting director.

Seeing it, 'Time, Forward' is nowhere near Soyuzmultfilm at their best, that it is still not bad at all says a lot about the consistently high quality of their work. Though by propaganda animated short film standards, it could have been a lot worse (it's not 'To You, Moscow' level). Tarasov's unique style is put to good use and his style isn't as jarring as feared, but other work of his such as 'The Path' and 'Contact' represent him a lot better. They are great, this is admirable and interesting enough but something of a lesser efforts.

A lot is great here in 'Time, Foward'. The animation is colourful and atmospheric with some very 70s yet well crafted character designs, complete with Tasarov's usual disturbingly bold colour contrasts and sharp angles. The music gels surprisingly well, not my first choice personally when it comes to music styles to go with the subject, but actually the hard rock song was quite haunting and gave a moodiness that didn't feel out of kilter. Nice use of Mahler as well.

It does have some tension and emotion, namely because of the visuals at their best being so powerful. There are effective moments too, such as the futuristic space battle (it didn't feel like it fitted with everything else but it was visually striking and grabbed the attention).

Having said that, 'Time, Forward' did have potential to be a lot better. While the intentions are good, it does make its point too heavily and come over as on the preachy side as a result. The pace did feel on the over-stretched and dull side, from the story being too slight.

On top of being too slight, the story structurally is somewhat meandering which did give events a surprising vagueness.

To conclude, well intended with admirable elements, not bad at all, but doesn't quite come together. 6/10.

Russian cinema is distinguished by its epic scale, philosophical depth, and innovative visual language. It often explores history, ideology, and the human psyche, with a tradition of psychological realism and artistic experimentation. Russian cinema contributed revolutionary theories of editing and later a spiritual approach to film language. It remains known for combining formal experimentation with profound explorations of endurance and belief.

Nikolay Grinko, Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, and Anatoliy Solonitsyn in Stalker (1979)

Animation is a form of visual storytelling that involves creating visual art and motion through the use of various techniques and technologies. In animation, images are manipulated to create the illusion of movement, bringing characters, objects, and environments to life. Animation can encompass a wide range of styles, themes, and intended audiences, making it a diverse and versatile form of storytelling.

Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

The animated film is completely dedicated to the work of the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky.

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Time, Forward!

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