The Singing Ringing Tree (1957) User Reviews

Aesthetic Pantomime

[Aberlass · 8/10 · 12 March 2003]

The essence of childhood. All moral codes, conduct and courtesy as standard. Language no barrier the visual story is timeless. A must for all children. The German version of 'Beauty & the Beast' (a French tale).

As a small child I saw the broken up dubbed version in the late 1970's over a 5 day period on BBC tv. It cast a spell, which I never ever forgot and spent my life searching for. Now in my early 30's I tracked down a subtitled copy of the 1957 71ms film. Not what I remembered, but far more beautiful and artistically adventurous than I could have appreciated as a child.

As an adult the hard hitting message is obvious, as are the lack of special effects, so this film's use of theatrical staging (scale models) is slightly overt in modern context. This film is perfect for young children who are not yet desensitized by modern graphics, yet can still be touched by moral lessons. Nostalgic adults will love this film, but anyone who has never experienced 50's, 60's European Fantasy cinema will find this film too primitive.

This film is a story book come to life. Be it Hans Christian Anderson or the Brothers Grimm, it is pure 50's Technicolor magic. Very moral and sound, yet beautiful to look at time and time again forever. Moving Art.

It may not live up to my childhood memory of it, but I am so glad to have found the tape, purely because it is such a superior piece of film making that I know I will enjoy watching it over and over again. So much art in it to appreciate. In my extensive movie collection I have no other film that is Directed, Produced & shot quite like it. It is a valuable asset to the film collector. I fully intend to acquire other films in the 'Tales From Europe' series, as I detect that they are highly collectible. This is a big tip! Enjoy! :)

A memory of something strange

[Red-Barracuda · 8/10 · 25 November 2010]

I remember back in the early 90's I was watching the TV clip based game show 'Telly Addicts'. It was never a good programme but on this night something interesting happened. Suddenly, from out of nowhere they showed a strange clip. It was a weird looking fantasy scene with a bear, a girl and a dwarf. Immediately I had a flash-back to something I had long forgotten – The Singing Ringing Tree! It was a very strange feeling to be reminded of something that I hadn't thought about for twenty years. Then it came back to me. Sort of. I recalled from the mists of my childhood watching a strange fantasy serial involving an evil dwarf and two other people who I couldn't quite picture. It must have made some kind of impression because I had sub-consciously never forgotten it.

Since then I discovered that the show had affected many other people in a similar way. They had all seen it when little kids and had similar memories. The common thread seemed to be that they found the evil dwarf terrifying. In all honesty I don't remember the feeling of being scared but I certainly never forgot that dwarf. The show seems to have been serialized and shown in the UK first in the early 60's and then again in the mid 70's; it was the latter that I experienced as a pre-school tot. One thing I can be sure of was I really liked this as a little kid.

Fast-forward to the present day and I finally decided to re-watch The Singing Ringing Tree again. They say you should never go back ladies and gentlemen. Should I have gone back? Well, yes and no. On the one hand, the experience of watching this weird East German fairy tale as an adult could never match the impact it had as three or four year old little child. And the considerable mystic quality of the distant and vague memory of it is something that is very specific and impossible to replicate. So, in watching it again, to a certain extent I broke the weird spell it had cast on me, as it never could be quite as bizarrely enchanting to me now as the enigmatic memory of it always was. Having said all this, this is an excellent fantasy film and a true one-off. It really does have an odd East European ambiance and its look and colour scheme are both fantastic. There's no question that this is a superior production of a fairy tale. The dwarf does make for a somewhat unforgettable villain. I loved the way he lurks undetected within the scene. He is seen hiding in holes in the ground, inside rock-faces, within giant shells or just malevolently looking on from atop a hill. The effects work, while crude, are somewhat memorable and beautiful. The freezing of the waterfall and the fiery flames at the end spring to mind as examples of this. They add to the over-all otherworldly aesthetic. Add to this a strange horse, a giant fish, a beautiful princess, a cursed bear and a magical tree, and you have the makings of something undoubtedly remarkable.

While I may not have experienced the same kind of magic in returning to the realm of The Singing Ringing Tree as an adult, I'm still pleased I did. It's a superlative and strange film that deserves to be passed down the years to little children of future generations. And perhaps it will cast a spell on them

Sometimes simple is the best

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 14 September 2016]

"Das singende, klingende Bäumchen" or "The Singing Ringing Tree" is an East German live action film from 1957, so this one will have its 60th anniversary next year. The director is Francesco Stefani and he also co-wrote this film together with Anne Geelhaar. Of course, the original is by the Brothers Grimm. And there we also have the fairy tale connection already. If you know a bit about East German (GDR) filmmaking, then you will know that most of the country's films that are still known today are either political movies (usually about World War II) or fairy tales and this is one of the latter. The film only runs for approximately 70 minutes, which is relatively short for a full feature film, but actually some of the other GDR's fairy tale films have an equally low duration. It is in color like the other fairy tale films too and I really like it. The other genre I mentioned produced many black-and-white films in years way after 1957 and this is what hurts them a lot. It is no coincidence that the only Oscar-nominated GDR film is a film about politics, but an exception because it is also in color.

But back to this one here. I don't think the short runtime hurts it at all, but helps it staying focused. Yes there were moments when the film becomes a bit too absurd, especially in the second half, but it's all bearable as fairy tale films frequently go over the top and they get away with it most of the time because of all the fantasy surrounding the action. The title of my review is a reference to the fairly simple recipe. We have a hero, who is good from start to finish (even a bit dumb early on), a female protagonist who has to grow in character throughout the film, a main antagonist (a dwarf this time) who is evil from start to finish and gets defeated at the very end and finally some minor characters like the King, who add very little as it is really not about them. Yes it is a bit generic in terms of the (missing) shades of the characters, but I still felt that this film was a success. It certainly looks a lot newer than 1957. The acting is as good as the direction and script, but what really stands out is the visual side in terms of set decorations, art directions and most of all costumes. The effects may look a bit goofy by today's standards, but they are pretty charming given the year of production. If there is one thing the GDR was really better than the FRG (not only in terms of filmmaking), then it is fairy tale films. This one here is a success and I recommend the watch.

Still needing therapy !

[bouncy-babe · 5 May 2003]

Wonderful and fascinating as The Singing Ringing Tree is, myself and my contemporaries were totally traumatised by its images as young children. The man dressed as a bear and the dwarf terrified me and the fish at the waterfall made me very uneasy. The very nature of the theatrical effects and make-up was what I found disconcerting as a 7 or 8 year old. I watched it in a local cinema as an adult and thought that my demons had been exorcised but recently I saw a TV programme which featured a "mechanical" fish and my childhood trauma came flooding back instantly ! No film however violent or scary has ever had this kind of effect on me before or since, but please don't let me put you off from watching The Singing Ringing Tree !!

Hide behind the sofa when the dwarf appears

[mgbrit · 10/10 · 5 January 2003]

This is as you remember watching it as a child. Lifelike, overtly coloured and full of magical splendor, terrifying nasties and surreal characters. In short, do not shy away from this opportunity to show a "Christmas Special" to your children in favour of the usual fare from Disney and co. Rather, pop a fresh batch of pop corn, get first dibs on the comfy chair and opt for what was arguably one of the highlights of East German children's programming.

Outlandish East German fairytale

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 17 January 2017]

THE SINGING RINGING TREE is a delightfully obscure East German fairytale with an overtly moralistic storyline and plenty of bizarre content to engage all of the kids who first saw it televised in Britain back in the 1960s. In fact, it's one of those rare productions that might well be more popular abroad than it is in its own country; something about this garish production captured the minds of kids across the nation and gave some of them sleepless nights to boot.

The tale is about a prince whose attempts to court a beautiful but ice-cold princess end in disaster when he's turned into a bear by an evil dwarf. That's just the beginning of a tale which is straightforward but contains all manner of outlandish content, from a giant floating goldfish to a horned horse and a woman who is cursed with ugliness. The cackling, scheming dwarf is pure entertainment value alone. I love productions such as these with colourful, far-reaching set design and THE SINGING RINGING TREE is a visual masterpiece that out-visuals Disney at its own game. The English version features a British narrator speaking over the German dialogue which sounds weird but turns out to work very well.

highly recommended

[gazzaturner1965 · 9/10 · 14 August 2002]

this is one of the most amazing looking,surreal films of all time and i only recently acquired it on video.it was just as good after fond childhood memories of it.highly recommended,with great special effects,and stunning set design,and vivid colour and cinematography.buy with confidence!

The East German DEFA produced quite a number of fa...

[J. Steed · 9/10 · 23 October 1999]

The East German DEFA produced quite a number of fairy tale adaptations of high standard, but this one is certainly one of the best and most beautiful. Exceptional and fantastic set design combined with expertly done trick-cinematography make a delicious cinematic treat for every age group, though the original colours have faded. Good cast and precise direction by Francesco Stefani.

Terrifying

[Barker57 · 8/10 · 29 July 2021]

In the days of only 3 tv channels (1970s) British kids were treated to an eclectic variety of European television productions. Always dubbed, often in black and white and endlessly repeated. Much of it was excellent and fondly remembered by many.

However The Singing Ringing Tree was essentially a hammer horror movie for children made in East Germany. For those of us who saw it when very young, it become the stuff of nightmares filled with evil dwarf wizards, spoilt princesses made ugly by spells and a kind hero Bear. The production was all studio bound, but with a strange psychedelic atmosphere. I loved it.

Its even better than I remembered in the late 60s

[mark.dixon · 2 March 2001]

This film was bought by BBC Children TV, dubbed in English and serialised in the late 60s which is where I originally saw it. You can buy a restored, German language with English subtitles which I did to see if my memory had played tricks on me - was it as good as I remembered?

I'm glad to say that its even better than I remembered, the stylish production, imaginative sets and performances enthralled me and my two you daughters again (the German language bit didn't seem to bother them at all!). I remembered the story but what passed me by on my B&W TV in the 60s was the imaginative and beautifully shot images.

Much recommended!

A little chestnut

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 12 April 2019]

From a very early age, namely from reading Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimm Brothers (adapted well to brilliantly frequently), fantasy and fairy-tales have been dear to my heart and it is highly doubtful that that will ever stop. Along with 1950's 'Heart of Stone', 1957's 'The Singing Ringing Tree' was my introduction to German fantasy, taking a break from my re-visiting Russian period.

Both come over to me, personally, as wonderful films for the same reasons as each other. With a small personal preference for DEFA's most famous production, one of many fantasy/fairy tale adaptations made in East Germany, 'The Singing Ringing Tree'. Not only their most famous film but Really do wish there are more German fantasy/fairy-tale films and those that do exist were generally better known.

'The Singing Ringing Tree' holds up well visually. Like as was said for 'Heart of Stone', it may not be flashy or big in spectacle, the budget and technology being not as advanced at the time, but the story didn't call for that and appreciated that it wasn't overblown and didn't rely too much on effects at the expense of everything else. The production design is suitably rustic and colourful and didn't look simplistic, while it is beautifully shot in colour that never looked too drab or garishly gaudy. The effects have a real charm to them, as well as being well designed and imaginative. Appreciated too that they weren't overused and abused or that the film was over reliant on them.

Music score is not the most memorable or imaginative ones in the world, but it is at least pleasant to listen to, is not too over-bearing or low-key, is used well and fits, not necessarily enhancing but never at odds. The writing doesn't become too cheesy or camp, while being fun enough to stop the treatment of the story from being taken too seriously.

Story is immensely charming, always engaging and sometimes haunting, never too simple or complex so the traps of being dumbed down or being convoluted aren't fallen into, same goes with avoiding the traps of being too childish or too scary even with the surrealism. Nor are the over-stretched or padding traps too apparent either.

Characters are as engaging and entertaining as the storytelling, they are archetypal but not in a bland or annoying way. Will agree that the dwarf, who is still creepy by today's standards, is the one that sticks in the mind the most. The actors suit their characters well, the most fun (and sinister) performance coming from Richard Kruger.

Overall, still wonderful. 10/10

Memories of Childhood...

[Stee-3 · 10/10 · 25 January 2001]

...come flooding back.

Just to see what this films means in the UK, search Google with Singing Ringing Tree and pick the 1st entry.

Simply brilliant...

Propaganda message in here, but still very enjoyable

[imdb-13900 · 10/10 · 15 January 2009]

Like many contributors I remember being quite scared by this film, watching it in the mid 1960s as a young child. It left a big impression, and it remained in my memory for over 40 years.

We bought this on DVD recently and I joked with my wife that it was pure propaganda; the 'haughty' princess representing the third Reich, the enchanted bear was revolutionary Russia, and the evil dwarf the manipulative and cynical forces of capitalism - it only works to a certain point, and will go right over the head of most viewers!

This is a hugely enjoyable film, at many levels, and whilst many of the special effects look very dated it doesn't detract from the story at all.

Not the dwarf

[sharonkaytargett · 9/10 · 31 August 2006]

People of my age all remember the same thing. If you mention The Singing Ringing Tree, they all say "not the dwarf". My brother was petrified by this movie as a child so to make him feel better I bought the DVD as a Christmas present for him in 2004. He still hasn't watched it as at today, 31 August 2006!!! I however borrowed it and watched it and remembered all the things I enjoyed about it as a child. The transformations of the Prince and Princess were as good, for the time it was made, as I remembered. The animals were the same, apart maybe from the fish! The fact it was dubbed into English didn't detract from it at all.

fears now realized

[samsimpson65 · 19 June 2004]

I thought this had been a bad nightmare, I had watched this as a child on a B&W TV and been terrified and traumatised by the Dwarf in what I could vaguely remember as a dark cave. I was speaking to someone this evening who said they had seen a clip on TV about a 60/70's programme called the singing ringing tree, as soon as she said it I knew that was it. So we looked on this site and low and behold there it is, I am glad it hadn't been a bad dream as I had begun to think over the past 24 odd years. The only problem is I'd forgotten about the man dressed as a bear and the mechanical fish, wish I had, as I must admit it has given me the heeby geebies, so I probably will have a nightmare tonight now.

Glad I wasn't imagining it anyway and would now quite like to see it, in colour of course!

Pure Nostalgia

[mark-j-morris · 10/10 · 22 December 2020]

Freaked me out as a kid and I'm now 61. Thoroughly enjoyed rewatching as did my wife who had never seen it before.