Description
The Man Who Planted Trees tells the story of a solitary sheperd who patiently plants and nurtures a forest of thousands of trees, single-handedly transforming his arid surroundings into a thriving oasis. Undeterred by two World Wars, and without any thought of personal reward, the sheperd tirelessly sows his seeds and acorns with the greatest care. As if by magic, a landscape that seemed condemned grows green again. A film of great beauty and hope, this story is a remarkable parable for all ages and an inspiring testament to the power of one person.
Customer Reviews:
The Man Who Planted Trees.......2007-07-25
The artistry of Frederic Back is magic worth discovering. Refreshingly different from today's computer generated animation, the painstaking, graceful and positively low-tech quality of Back's animated films achieves visual poetry in motion. The two best entries- "Trees" and "River"- also convey a vital message about humanity's responsibility to the natural world, and the dangers in not meeting that responsibility. Due to thick accents and a stiff, rehearsed quality, the interviews are less rewarding than the films, which speak eloquently for themselves. Watch this with your kids, young or old.
My search for a movie universally loved and admired may be completed.......2007-06-28
Frédéric Back's 30 minutes long Oscar winning animated film "The Man Who Planted Trees" is astounding work of art with its beautiful story and the images that equal it. The story written by the French writer Jean Giono that tells about Elzeard Bouffier, a quiet shepherd, and later bee keeper who never talked much but over 35 years of hard work singlehandedly cultivated a magnificent forest in a desolate area of Provence, France and made it a peaceful and happy home for over 10, 000 people, is highly moving, inspirational, and life-affirming. It makes a viewer proud of what a man can achieve if he is determined to create, not to destroy. Every frame looks and feels not like a flat drawing but like a beloved painting of a celebrated impressionist painter (Monet, Sisley, Morisot, and Pissarro, the "purest" impressionists come first to mind). To achieve this effect, Back worked on unpolished acetates using crayons and modulating the colors. During the film, the colors change dramatically from barren and lifeless desert like palette in the beginning to the tender glowing delicate colors of blossoming eternal Spring in the final scenes. I was absolutely mesmerized by Back's visual style and his ability to beautifully translate such a literally story to the screen and not to lose any of its appeal but on the contrary to enrich it with incredible taste and unique exquisite beauty and tenderness of his images. For the first time, I came across the work of animation that reminded me so much of my all time favorite animated film "Tale of Tales" (1978) by Yuri Norstein, artistically and spiritually. It was not surprising for me to find out that Norstein and Back have met, respect and admire each other work and that Norstein studied Back's techniques and took with him to Moscow Back's acetates and coloring pencils that he was going to use while working on his ambitious project, full feature animation "Overcoat".
There is one question that pops up from time to time on the different film forums, "Is there any movie that all viewers would love and cherish"? I am always skeptical and up until tonight used to believe that the universally loved movie simply does not exist. I am happy to admit that I was wrong. I don't think that anyone who saw this little marvel may not be affected by its clear message, its kindness, beauty, and artistry.
Highly recommended as deservingly one of the very best animated movies ever made.
5+/5
AWESOME!.......2007-06-02
This is an excellent film about the power of one person to make a positive difference on behalf of our environment. I HIGHLY recommend it! Enjoy!
One person can make a difference!.......2007-05-07
Excellent material for an adult discussion group. Could even be considered spiritual, but not necessarily. Topic related to caring for the environment, and the positive effects this care might have on the general public of the community.
Inspiring classic of simple altruism.......2007-03-19
This allegory is truly a timeless tale of generativity; a thought-provoking look at what constitutes greatness in character in its most elemental form. Every person, no matter how humble,is capable of leaving of a legacy. Greatness is not a matter of talent, but of spirit. Patience and vision trumps skill or station in life. Find your own task and persevere-and change the world in the process! Great story and an inspiration to all.
Description
Presented on 4 DVDs, The Man Who Planted Trees Deluxe Edition is the complete collection of celebrated works by one of the most acclaimed animators of our time, Frederic Back.
This tribute to Frederic Back contains 9 animated short films, fully digitally re-mastered for the first time, featuring: Academy Award winners The Man Who Planted Trees and Crac!, and the Academy Award nominated film The Mighty River.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Interviews with Frederic Back, Interview with Jean Giono (author of The Man Who Planted Trees), Interview with Hubert Tison, Frederic Back Biography, Interactive Menus, Photo Galleries, and Lists of Festivals & Awards.
Customer Reviews:
The Man Who Planted trees DVD.......2007-09-07
Superb content!!! The only slight niggle is that the DVDs were floating in the box when it arrived and although being brand new are already scratched ;-(
box set review.......2007-08-21
I am pleased with the actual DVD product content, but the packaging is as bad as noted in previous reviews. The DVDs were all loose within the unopened package due to defective packaging and were all scratched up. I watched the one I particularly wanted (The Man Who Planted Trees) and it was clear to watch with no skips, so I kept the whole set. It would be nice if they improved the packaging since the DVDs are so good.
Excellent content - I despair of the packaging........2007-08-16
The animated films presented here are of the highest quality and will be enjoyed by all ages. I saw 'The man who planted trees' on UK TV in the late 1980's and have desired a copy ever since. Only the fictitious nature of the story lets it down but hey...
However, I'm giving this item 1 star because of the ridiculously poor quality packaging. Amazon have sent me two of these sets from the USA to the UK and both times they've arrived damaged with all the discs heavily scratched. This is not Amazon's fault. The discs are contained within a normal sized DVD box which has two spindles per side. The spindles are the pop on type and the two discs overlap, 4 discs in total. Unfortunately the discs easily come off the spindles and rattle around inside the box. My two examples also had broken plastic on the box which would have happened with the manufacturer because it was inside the shrink-wrap.
Eventually, rather than risk a third disaster, Amazon refunded my money and showed their usual good quality service. Quality is not a word I'd use for the DVD box though so beware!
Great movie, OK collection.......2007-06-02
The Man Who Planted Trees is a great animated short about the power of one individual to make a difference for our environment. It's an excellent film. The collection, however, pales in comparison. It's not worth the extra money-- if you want the Man Who Planted Trees, just buy the DVD of that alone.
Story telling as entertaining cultural intro.......2007-01-27
This series performs multiple functions. In the French track, storytelling can offer lessons often ignored in the native language of American students. It also can demonstrate the universality of protecting nature and politicians corrupting the best work of man. In addition to the educational value of this series, the animation is hypnotizing and wonderful.
DVD:
- Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary Edition)
- Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
- Muppets from Space
- Nick Jr. Baby Curious Buddies - Exploring at the Beach
- Oswald - On-the-Go Oswald / Oswald - Welcome to Big City!
- Pathfinder (Unrated Edition)
- Pippi Longstocking -The TV Series
- Playtime With Maisy
- Pocahontas II - Journey to a New World (Disney Gold Classic Collection)
- Real Wheels - Travel Adventures (There Goes a Train/Plane/Bus)
DVD
DVD
General
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
The Man Who Planted Trees, 20th Anniversary
The Man Who Planted Trees
The Man Who Planted Trees DVD Box Set - Nine Animated Classics by Frederic Back
The Man Who Planted Trees: Generosity of Spirit as a Source of Happiness
The Solitude of Compassion
