Fontanarrosa's drawing style is a true legacy and more than adequate to commemorate José Hernández's character, the gaucho Martín Fierro. In this film, which has a certain failed epic tone, that style is the most important thing. Because I believe that the great flaw was its multiple direction (more than three directors), which has clearly affected the result, hasty decisions, with a story that hardly recovers the verses of Hernández's poem. Technically, the animation looks unnatural and choppy, and figure and background often blend poorly. Sometimes the drawings are excellent, other times they look like scribbles. And the night scenes are indecipherable, so bad is the decision to light them. Another thing is the chosen music. When it's not folk music, an orchestration sounds that has almost nothing transcendent and seems like a Hollywood pastiche of no importance: canned compositions, without vitality, absurd clichés. In spite of everything, lost the potential and the great contribution of Fontanarrosa, a recommendable film even though it could have been a huge universal and eternal classic. Pity.
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Rectangular_businessman11 June 2010This movie it's one animated adaptation of the epic poem written by José Hernández, which is considered the national book form Argentina. The character designs are made by the comic book writer and cartoonist Roberto Fontanarrosa (Who also worked in "Boogie, el aceitoso", an excellent animated film)
This is an excellent adaptation, very faithful to the book, and despite the cartoonish (But stylish and well made) designs, it keeps a serious, solemn tone, with only very few moments of humor and comedy. The animation and the music are simply beautiful, and the voice performances were pretty good too. This movie is pretty underrated (I can't believe that it only have 6.0 of score'. That's pretty unfair, considering that it was an excellent animated film) and definitely deserves more appreciation.
10/10 -
AeroEngr6 August 2011Martin Fierro is a poor gaucho, living on a small ranch with his wife and three children. His idyllic life of simplicity and hard work is shattered when the Argentine army comes to town looking for new recruits in its genocidal war against the native "Indios". He is drafted into service along with drunks and vagabonds, and sent to the frontier with the promise that the campaign will last at most six months. Fierro's life unravels as the army steals his favorite horse, mistreats him and his comrades, and refuses to pay his salary. After the six months turn into three years, Fierro escapes and returns home, only to find his ranch deserted and his family gone. One night, as he drowns his sorrows in liquor, he insults a man's fat wife. The man draws his knife, and Fierro kills him in the ensuing fight with his "facón", the gaucho's long knife. Now a desperado, wanted for deserting and for murder, Fierro wanders the Pampas evading capture. He is finally surrounded while camping at night on the plains. Fierro gives a good account of himself, but falls wounded. Sergeant Cruz, who sympathizes with the plight of the gauchos, prevents his fellow soldiers from dispatching the outlaw on the spot. The two then ride south to seek freedom and dignity.