The Dream of a Ridiculous Man (1992)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Blistering performances.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

"Son smeshnogo cheloveka" or "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" is a work by writer Fyodor Dostoevsky and here we see the 20-minute adaptation by director Aleksandr Petrov. He made this one a while before his Oscar win and it's one of the rare occasions when one of his short films did not manage to get in with the Academy. It is from 1992, so it will have its 25th anniversary next year. If you know Petrov, you will immediately recognize his style in here. I personally have not read the story this is originated on, but maybe you have to in order to appreciate this little movie. I personally must say I liked the beginning, but it gets a lot worse and much more absurd in the second half, which is why my overall verdict is negative. Of course, you need to appreciate the effort Petrov puts into his animation, but still this is not enough for me to say this was a good watch. It's entirely subjective how you perceive the maker's animation style. I personally would not say I loved it, but it was okay. Your overall liking of the film will have to do a lot with how much you like the style. I give this one a thumbs-down. Not recommended.

Words are not enough to describe the incredible, almost dream-like beauty of each one of the shorts directed by the Great Russian animator, Aleksandr Petrov. Since his very first short, "Korova" ("The Cow") all his work have kept the same level of magnificence and outstanding quality. "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man", inspired by the Dostoyevsky story of the same name, isn't the exception, being one of the most impressive films (animated or not) that I have seen in my whole life.This short doesn't only capture the essence of the original story, but also gives it a complete new level, through the art of animation. The level of detail in each single frame from this movie is incredibly, capturing the most subtle qualities of each aspect of reality and the world of dreams, with a breathtaking, almost heavenly result.This is a true work of art, with lots of heart and soul put in this, resulting in one of the most rewarding and beautiful animations ever made in the history of cinema. I would rate this short with eleven stars if I could.

What is the point of doing good? Is there any evidence of a sense in life? Then, is it not doing good as senseless as being a villain? Dostoevsky takes this question and discusses it in his passionate way in a short story: The Dream of a Ridiculous Man.The story of Dostoevsky walk us through reality and dream, up to the point where reality and dream become two equally possible universes. I would say three potentially real words, as the dream comes in two successive versions: humanity before and after the fall. And the answer of Dostoevsky is, if I understood it correctly, that the sense is given by our capacity of choice: we choose to do good or not, and it is our choice that gives sense to our life.Aleksandr Petrov adapted the story of Dostoevsky and made it a 20 minute animation. Petrov found here in full blow the religious dimension he seems to be particularly interested in. On the other side, telling in images the story of the ridiculous man is challenging, as it is highly symbolical. Petrov proceeded straightforward, so to speak: he simply followed the text and left the interpretation for us.

'The Dream of a Ridiculous Man (1992)' was Aleksandr Petrov's third film as director, after 'Marathon (1988)' and 'Korova (1989).' It's the work of an animator who's well-and-truly become comfortable with his craft; nobody with doubts about his own talents would ever attempt something as ambitious as a Dostoevsky story. Unfortunately, like most of Petrov's works, the film is notoriously difficult to follow if you don't already know what is going on. He delights in blending realism with fantasy, decisively blurring the line between the two, and so it didn't help that I ventured into the film without English subtitles. Nevertheless, from a purely visual standpoint, there can be little doubt that 'The Dream of a Ridiculous Man' is an incredible piece of art, a shifting canvas of vivid oil paints that more closely resemble an Expressionist masterwork. Unforgettable dream-like images – the flicker of passing lights through a train window, a dazzling Utopian land beneath the blazing sun, the gleam of flaming dancers – retain their strength even after the film itself has come to an end.Unable to understand any of the dialogue, I was forced to piece together the story through its vague images, aided by a brief synopsis of Dostoevsky's original short story. A lonely man, having decided that nothing in his life matters to him anymore, rejects a young girl's pleads for help before returning to his apartment to contemplate suicide. Yet unable to commit the act, the man instead falls asleep and dreams of his death, after which he is whisked from his grave and transported to a Utopian island where it is always sunny. However, after he tells a lie, the entire land is swiftly consumed by the cold hand of sin. The man awakens, and returns to help the young girl whom he had earlier brushed off, having been handed a new lease on life. 'The Dream of a Ridiculous Man' is an excellent work of Russian animation from one of the field's most impressive artists, meticulous enough to rank up there with the director's finest – which are, for the sake of reference, 'The Old Man and the Sea (1999)' and 'My Love (2006).'