Japan, India
1993 135 mins
OV English
Written centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ, the venerable Ramayana is, alongside the Mahabharata, one of the two foundational texts of Hinduism. It is also one of human civilization’s most expansive mythological epics and, arrow for arrow, sword-stroke for sword-stroke, arguably the most wild, thrilling, and amazing of all the world’s ancient tales of wonder — LORD OF THE RINGS is a casual travelogue by comparison. The Ramayana chronicles the adventures of the noble prince Rama of the city Ayodhya in the kingdom of Kosala, the palace intrigue that leads to his banishment to the wilds, his great journeys with his precious wife Sita and her kidnapping by the demon king Ravana, and Rama’s glorious battles against his foe, alongside the heroic Hanuman and his monkey army.
Thirty years ago, after almost a decade of dedicated work by top talents from both India and Japan, an anime adaptation of the revered text was unveiled. With scriptwriting, art direction, and of course songs and music crafted by notable luminaries in India, and the technical execution of the top-notch animation by Japanese artisans drawn from Hayao Miyazaki’s own pool of professionals, RAMAYANA - THE LEGEND OF PRINCE RAMA proved to be a cross-cultural collaboration par excellence. Frustratingly, the film disappeared from international circulation following a few theatrical screenings, never seeing release on any home-viewing format, and for decades remained little more than a rumour whispered among dedicated anime fans. At last, this marvelous work has been lovingly restored and once again revealed to the world in all its splendour. An exciting, colourful cinematic sensation of myth, music, monsters and mighty heroes, millennia in the making! – Rupert Bottenberg