The Soldier's Tale (Blu-ray)(1984)

The Soldier's Tale is an animated classic by the renowned New Yorker illustrator R.O. Blechman, based on Igor Stravinsky's 1918 composition. This poetic tale revolves around a young soldier's return home, where he strikes a deal with the devil, trading his beloved violin for boundless wealth. Haunted by regret, the soldier sets out on a journey to reclaim his soul and rediscovers the life he left behind. As the soldier ventures into these alternate realities, Blechman's simple pen-and-ink drawings explode into colorful fantasies. The film was a milestone in the marriage of animation and music (Stravinsky's Rite of Spring was used to score one of the most memorable sequences of Walt Disney's Fantasia). This 2K restoration of The Soldier's Tale (from the filmmaker's personal 35mm print) is accompanied by Blechman's Christmas-themed short film No Room at the Inn.