Tuesday 19 January 2010

(500) Films of Empire - Day 126

141 - Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs - 3 stars
The very first feature length animated film, and the second highest animated film on the list but I can't help thinking that this is so high up is due to a sentimental look back at it through rose tinted glasses. While its place in film industry is undeniable, there are a lot better animated films out there, even if it did provide the blueprint for them.
A beautiful handdrawn Disney look that captures both the light and dark side of the fairy tale, with the wicked Queen's old woman one of the silver screen's first memorable villains.
The songs are OK but not a patch on the quality of output in the early to mid-nineties, also the Snow White's singing voice has a horrible nasal, warbling tone to it.
What I do have know however is a greater respect for the movie Enchanted, as I was able to recognise a lot more references from the movie.
Funny note: the hunter meant to kill Snow White brings the Queen back a pig's heart instead. For a moment I thought it was a deer's heart and thought that the hunter might have been the one that killed Bambi's mother in a piece of Disney serendipity.

294 - The Red Balloon - 4 stars
An enchanting little tale of a young boy who has a "pet" balloon that follows him around everywhere he goes, but tragedy approaches as other children become jealous and want the balloon for themselves.
A magical short film with great humour and outstanding special effects for the time it was made, 1956, with any wires of trickery seemingly invisible.
It also has the proud honour of having the most emotional inanimate object since the plastic bag in American Beauty.

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