Considering the various ways that one could visually adapt Imre Madách’s 1861 play The Tragedy of Man - a widely renowned icon of Hungarian literature - Marcell Jankovics’ 2011 animated film of the same name makes a strong case for animation as the perfect medium to do so. Beginning in 1988, the film’s production was halted the following year due to major societal and governmental changes in Hungary after the crumbling of Soviet power in the Eastern Bloc (Ito, Astell). Having spent years raising funds to resume production incrementally, Jankovics saw his work to its completion over two decades later in 2011, its painstaking production process almost mirroring the themes of the work upon which it is based. The journey paid off immensely, as the final film proved to be what many deem a masterclass of both hand-drawn animation and literary adaptation. In viewing the film’s form, specifically its artistically crafted visuals and incorporation of various unique art-styles, this blog analyses how the story and themes that Madách presents are highlighted and powered by the animated medium through which Jankovics relays in the narrative events.
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