I was truly amazed when I read through all the glowing comments for this short Soviet film from 1975. One referred to it as the best film ever made and all the many reviews from people from the ex-Soviet Union (such as Lithuania and Russia) absolutely were in rapturous tones about the brilliance of this film. My assumption is that these reviewers grew up with it and associate many happy memories with it. However, to an outsider who saw it for the first time in his 40s, I did not have the same perspective and wasn't the least bit in love with the film. Now this isn't to say I disliked it--I just didn't have the same emotional connection. My bet is that if many of these same reviewers saw cartoons I adored as a child, they might feel equally unimpressed. It's all just a matter of perspective.
As for the art, this style cartoon is unusual in the West because it consists mostly of lovely drawings of creatures that were then cut out and animated by moving the pieces of paper about the backgrounds. This is a very, very simple method for animation and probably won't impress kids today--who are used to amazing CGI or smoothly animated cartoons (which this is not). Still, despite this, there is a certain charm in the characters--much like looking at the drawings in E.B. White's book "The Wind in the Willows".
The story itself is, well, very simple. A cute little hedgehog goes to see his friend the bear and gets lost in the fog...and that's about it. I just didn't see the magic.
Overall, I thought the film was only moderately diverting but can understand the love of the film for people who grew up watching it. For the Western audience, however, I doubt if such rapturous approval is forthcoming.
As for the art, this style cartoon is unusual in the West because it consists mostly of lovely drawings of creatures that were then cut out and animated by moving the pieces of paper about the backgrounds. This is a very, very simple method for animation and probably won't impress kids today--who are used to amazing CGI or smoothly animated cartoons (which this is not). Still, despite this, there is a certain charm in the characters--much like looking at the drawings in E.B. White's book "The Wind in the Willows".
The story itself is, well, very simple. A cute little hedgehog goes to see his friend the bear and gets lost in the fog...and that's about it. I just didn't see the magic.
Overall, I thought the film was only moderately diverting but can understand the love of the film for people who grew up watching it. For the Western audience, however, I doubt if such rapturous approval is forthcoming.