This film on three technological advancements of the 20th century: the Hindenburg, an atomic test at Bikini Atoll, and cloning. Three Tales ultimately contains a message regarding technology and life. While the film generally succeeds in conveying this message, flaws reduce this to a slightly above average movie.
By being presented in movie style that essentially is supposed to invoke feelings that it is art, the Three Tales sets large expectations. The visual style is a montage of historical footage, interviews, and various stylistic overlays designed to create a feeling of art. This is generally interesting, but becomes tedious. The music which plays a main role in the film is mostly acceptable and adds to the experience as it should, but it also produces moments that seem out of place either because of oddity or because it seems laughable. Three Tales is also divided into three chapters where they sequentially build on the level of the philosophical meaning and thereby becomes increasingly complex. The first sequence which is the Hindenburg remains nearly devoid of any message except conveying tragedy (which is what anyone thinks of the Hindenburg) while the last sequence focuses on cloning and all of the usual ethical and societal questions on the subject. This juxtaposition of devoid from meaning in the first sequence and the deep meaning in the last seems inappropriate and the film would have been better if the first sequence contained some meaning more related to the central theme.
Overall the film attempts interesting stylistic techniques and usually succeeds, but it is plagued by moments that feel out of place and tedious.