Heroic Times [Blu-ray]

Heroic Times Blu-ray presents the long-unseen Hungarian animated epic Daliás Idők in its first-ever U.S. release, newly restored from original elements. Directed by József Gémes, this sweeping medieval saga dismantles the myth of chivalry with brutal honesty, portraying an age of kings and knights defined by ruthless violence and moral decay. Adapted from the epic poem by János Arany, the film unfolds as a bloody tapestry of conquest and consequence, narrated with weary reflection.

Visually, Heroic Times is striking and singular, combining hand-painted oil imagery with 2D animation to create a painterly aesthetic that feels closer to a living Renaissance canvas than conventional animation. Its tone and scope echo epic fantasies such as Excalibur and The Lord Of The Rings, while its haunting visual approach recalls the hypnotic artistry of Belladonna Of Sadness. The result is an animated feature of rare ambition and atmosphere, as lyrical as it is savage.

Winner of the Feature Film Award at the 1985 Annecy Animated Film Festival, Heroic Times has been meticulously restored by the National Film Institute – Film Archive in Hungary and is presented here in Hungarian with English subtitles, accompanied by an exceptional slate of scholarly and archival bonus materials.

directed by: József Gémes
based on the poem by: János Arany
1983 / 83 min

Audio: Stereo
Language: Hungarian with English subtitles
Discs: 1