Tinerete fara batrînete
Tinerete fara batrînete (1968) is a Romanian fantasy movie directed by Elisabeta Bostan based on the story by Ion Creanga.
It follows a very traditional fairy tale plot, wherein a young man embarks on a quest for immortality, battling along the way such adversaries as a fire-breathing witch, an army of liars, and an evil prince, while falling in love with a magical princess whose hand in marriage predictably becomes an object of dispute, as a reward linked to the fulfillment of three preordained tasks.
It therefore obeys strict gender roles. Although the princess's magical help guides the hero, she must abide by the rules of the challenge she set to test the worthiness of her potential suitors, and ultimately needs to be rescued from the villain. The other female characters in the movie are the Queen of the Forest Birds, the fire-breathing witch, the princess's mother, who is Queen of the Kingdom of Eternal Youth, and the princess's handmaidens. The princess does speak to her mother and her handmaidens, but this film would not meet the Rule.
It is however a very beautiful movie, well-paced and lavishly designed, although the special effects would feel dated for today's audiences. Elisabeta Bostan's direction brings the right note of earnestness and scope to the story, and makes it engaging and often action-filled.
The number of translations (whose titles are show below) would suggest that film was widely distributed in the 1970s, although it is almost impossible to find today. A few English-dubbed videocassettes are scattered in libraries in the USA, and a surviving print of the movie was shown in the United Kingdom for the 2003 Festival of Fantastic Films.
Alternate Titles
- Youth Without Old Age (literal English title)
- Kingdom in the Clouds (USA)
- La Clef d'or (Canada: French-language title)
- Das Schloss hinterm Regenbogen (German)
- El Principe Azul (Spanish)
- Il Principe Azzurro (Italian)
Alternate versions
The dubbed English-language version of this movie is missing material that was contained in the original Romanian version. The information above is based on an incomplete version of the movie.
Missing from the opening minutes are the Three Fates dancing, and the parents of the hero talking over their infant son.
Cast
- Mircea Breazu - Hero
- Anna Széles - Princess
- Ion Tugearu - Prince of Liars
External Links
- IMDb listing for Tinerete fara batrînete
- Review of UK showing of Kingdom in the Clouds
- KiddieMatinee.com's detailed summary and review of the movie, accompanied by screen captures and other images.
- 10-minute preview of the opening scene, in the original Romanian, on YouTube
- Il principe azzurro -- Italian page for the film, with colour still images