Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Samuel Taylor Coleridge's famous poem—first published in Lyrical Ballads (1798), the seminal manifesto of romanticism on which he collaborated with William Wordsworth—receives royal treatment from director Raúl daSilva in this 1975 release. Termed a “cinematic illustration” of the poem—which is a hypnotic rumination on good, evil, guilt, and possible redemption presented in the form of a ghostly story told to a young man on his way to a wedding by an elderly seaman—the centerpiece is a brilliantly delivered recitation by Sir Michael Redgrave, illustrated with live-action footage, animation, and artwork by such figures as Gustave Doré, all carefully edited and invigorated by fluid camera movement in a largely successful attempt to mirror the hallucinatory, mystical effect of the verse. Preceding the poem is a biographical featurette on Coleridge, narrated by Redgrave, featuring a fine supporting cast (including a young Miriam Margolyes), illustrated with paintings by Doré, John Constable, William Hogarth, and Edward Hicks, and accompanied by musical excerpts from Smetana, Haydn, and Mozart. Now three decades old, this film lacks technical razzmatazz, but it's strikingly effective in capturing the unique flavor and tone of Coleridge's poem. Recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (F. Swietek)