Fighting against God, fighting for love A screen adaptation of a Lithuanian legend, released by Soyuzmultfilm under the curtain of the 1950s and containing some hints at the visual features of the next decade.
Earlier Soviet cartoons were created by drawing real objects, usually videos. This process was probably very tedious, so already in “Amber Castle” there is a simplification: both characters and locations are more stylized, although still more authentic than in the minimalist cartoons of the 1960s and 2020s. Some details, especially fish, look like little men in dresses. For a children's cartoon, in principle, uncritical, especially here the stunning sea princess Yurate is the most beautiful mermaid in Soviet cartoons!
The plot of the original legend is often compared with “Sadko”, but I would prefer to compare the cartoon with “The Little Mermaid” Andersen, since there is a similar tragedy. But in Amber Castle, of course, there is a richer mythology. Perkunas (similar to Perun's name, isn't it?) is the first god we saw in Soviet cartoons, and yet one of the most touchy and cruel. Powerful like Zeus, but cold-blooded like Ares, Perkunas cannot be delighted. Compared to him, Castitis, an ordinary fisherman, looks stronger and more courageous. Like any love legend, this story is beautiful largely due to the tragic outcome. Which, indeed, is more fair than the legend.
In the amber castle we can see numerous marine life, among which a giant lobster the size of a man is especially noteworthy. Nanny Yurate is a black fish similar to marlin and swordfish. Unfriendly and too conservative, it causes the same condemnation as Perkunas. At first, Jurate looks too arrogant, but love works wonders... I guess. That is why the heroine is transformed.
I want to mention the amazing music, especially the play of Castitis himself. I understand fish, I really want to dance.
Beautiful history, where there is pathos, romance and the great sea.
9 out of 10