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Director: Izabela Plucińska
Release date: November 8, 2009
Rating: ★★
Review:

Based on a picture book from 1993 ‘Esterhazy’ is clay animation film in which a Viennese, supposedly aristocratic young rabbit is sent by his grandfather to Berlin to find a rabbit paradise behind the Berlin wall (which apparently really existed). Thus he gets caught in the world event of the fall of the Berlin wall, much to his own dismay.

‘Esterhazy’ mixes clay animation with after effects, and is especially noticeable for its background art, which is also made in clay. Unfortunately, the film is overlong and rather aimless, and progresses at a slow speed. Unlike his Berliner brethren Esterhazy himself is very anthropomorphized and clearly capable of communicating and socializing with humans. At the same time he gets locked up and is sold as a pet. This unclear anthropomorphization of the main character further hampers the film, as does its rather dark lighting, in which quite a bit of the action gets lost. The best part may be the composition of the invitation Esterhazy sends in the end.

Watch ‘Esterhazy’ yourself and tell me what you think:

‘Esterhazy’ is available on the DVD box set ‘The Animation Show of Shows Box Set 9’