ThisthreepartFrenchTVserialforchildren(alternateversionsexistasafeature,Manoel'sDestinies,anda4partPortugueseTVserial,AdventureinMadeira)isthefavouriteofmanydevoteesofRaúlRuiz.ThisisbecauseittiestheenchantmentandmysteryofLewisCarroll,CarloCollodiandtheBrothersGrimmtothefilmmaker'sexperimentswithnarrativestrategiesandwhathecallsthepentaludicmodelofstorytelling(wherecharactersarethrowndice-likeintocombinationsandsituationsgovernedbytheplayofChanceandDestiny).Butthisfilmforchildrenisamonghismostcomplexworks,hardtograspinitstotality.Oftenitcanseemanarbitrarycollectionoffree-associationalimagesandwords,borderingonnonsense.Butattentiveviewerswillhavethestrongsensethatthereismethodbehindthisnear-madness.Otherwise,itcouldneverproducetheintenseemotionsitsoclearlyoffers.Ruiz'sobsessionsfromfilmtofilmbindthefragmentstogether–withinasingleworkandacrossprojects–andtheemotioncomesfromthetotallyunexpectedforkingtakenwithinawell-wornterritorialmap.PartOnepresentsuswiththreepossibleworlds.Ineachworld,sevenyear-oldManoelhasadifferentresponsetoanentreatyfromtheoutsideworld.Fittingly,inthisfilminwhichnothingcoincides,thethreepartsofthestorydonotcoincidewiththethree-episodestructure(thetrinity-formrecursfrequentlyinRuiz).Inthiscase,past,presentandfuture–theunholytrinityorTimeensoi–isthefilm'sveryprotagonist,variouslycalled'longago'(PartOne),'now'(PartTwo),and'future'(PartThree).Attheoutset,thisgivesthestoryanapparentorderbeforedigressionstakeitover.PartTwo(thestatusofwhichisatfirstconfusingsinceitbeginsafterthethreemini-narrativesofthefirstPartandbeforetheendofEpisodeOne)isentitled'ThePicnicofDreams'.Whilstvaguely'keepingtothestoryline',itveersoffinmanydifferentdirections,wherethethematiccouplingordinary/specialreplacesthefamiliar/unknowndualismofPartOne.(EachPartisguidedbyathematic'dominant',apairofnotionsthattendtoexchangetheirmeaningsasitprogresses.)PartThree(beginninginEpisodeTwo),entitled'TheLittleChess-Champion',handsthe(untilnow)off-screenvoice-overnarrationtoManoelhimself.Hepromisestotellhisownstory,butaddsthatit's'astorythatImadeupinmydistantchildhoodandthathappensinthefuture'.ThetoneislessBaroque,moreGothic,asRuizexploresthe'wondersofthenight'.Thefilmmaker'sobsessioninthissectionconcernsperceptionandthedecipheringofsecretsignsandcodes.
