The Color Classics were a cartoon series made by the Fleischer Studios to compete with Disney's Silly Symphonies. While many of them bordered on saccharine schmaltz and the Disney wannabe curse, a lot of them were fairly innovative for their strong usage of color effects and stereoptical camera backgrounds. One of the first entries in the series, Little Dutch Mill, was a proper blend of those groundbreaking filmmaking techniques and delivering on strong stakes. Although one could see the short as a product of its time in some capacity, the message it carries is truly worth standing the test of time.
As told through a Dutch plate, the short's story follows two Dutch children who are abducted by the miser in the old mill they normally dance around. The premise feels quite similar to many classic children's stories about being cautious of strangers, especially in regards to the aforementioned miser. Although the portrayal of the miser himself is not particularly politically correct by today's standards, rather than treat him as a foe worth defeating, the short instead redeems him once the townspeople come into play. It's a fascinating contrast to most cartoon antagonists of the time who would merely be destroyed by the end, which makes sense given the Fleischer Studio's sympathetic outlook on people as a whole. The roles of the children are merely reduced to symbols of cautionary debacles, but the short is obviously less about specific characterizations than it is about the theme of letting go of one's own morals for the sake of soulless money. In a day and age where money seems to be corrupting society more and more, it's good to see relics of the past hold up all the more because of it.
Going into the visual direction, as this short was directed by acclaimed Fleischer animator Willard Bowsky, what takes center stage is the heavy usage of allowing the scenery and layouts to speak for themselves. While the usage of the famous stereoptical process does come at a disadvantage of padded pacing, it nonetheless showcases Fleischer's admiration for 3D motion environments and bold color palettes. Despite being processed through 2 strip Technicolor, the limited hues of red and green allow the Netherlands to come to life through precise costume design and architecture, almost as if we're peering through an old school look at the land of wooden shoes and tulips. The music score also plays a good accompaniment to what's occurring on screen, with the inclusion of the opening song playing as a musical motif throughout the runtime. As an added bonus of the dialogue spoken in rhyme, the film feels a lot like a song being told rather than sung to its audience, fitting with the playful narrative that much more.
It's a shame that many animation enthusiasts tend to overlook or even discredit the Color Classics when speaking of the Fleischers, since they managed to make a lot of genuinely worthwhile content outside of the trippy Betty Boop shorts and hysterical Popeye cartoons. Little Dutch Mill works as an example of them utilizing their sense of dramatic storytelling to a strong degree, with just enough tension and pathos to warrant repeat viewings. I would recommend this to anyone wishing to explore the Fleischers filmography beyond their more popular work.
As told through a Dutch plate, the short's story follows two Dutch children who are abducted by the miser in the old mill they normally dance around. The premise feels quite similar to many classic children's stories about being cautious of strangers, especially in regards to the aforementioned miser. Although the portrayal of the miser himself is not particularly politically correct by today's standards, rather than treat him as a foe worth defeating, the short instead redeems him once the townspeople come into play. It's a fascinating contrast to most cartoon antagonists of the time who would merely be destroyed by the end, which makes sense given the Fleischer Studio's sympathetic outlook on people as a whole. The roles of the children are merely reduced to symbols of cautionary debacles, but the short is obviously less about specific characterizations than it is about the theme of letting go of one's own morals for the sake of soulless money. In a day and age where money seems to be corrupting society more and more, it's good to see relics of the past hold up all the more because of it.
Going into the visual direction, as this short was directed by acclaimed Fleischer animator Willard Bowsky, what takes center stage is the heavy usage of allowing the scenery and layouts to speak for themselves. While the usage of the famous stereoptical process does come at a disadvantage of padded pacing, it nonetheless showcases Fleischer's admiration for 3D motion environments and bold color palettes. Despite being processed through 2 strip Technicolor, the limited hues of red and green allow the Netherlands to come to life through precise costume design and architecture, almost as if we're peering through an old school look at the land of wooden shoes and tulips. The music score also plays a good accompaniment to what's occurring on screen, with the inclusion of the opening song playing as a musical motif throughout the runtime. As an added bonus of the dialogue spoken in rhyme, the film feels a lot like a song being told rather than sung to its audience, fitting with the playful narrative that much more.
It's a shame that many animation enthusiasts tend to overlook or even discredit the Color Classics when speaking of the Fleischers, since they managed to make a lot of genuinely worthwhile content outside of the trippy Betty Boop shorts and hysterical Popeye cartoons. Little Dutch Mill works as an example of them utilizing their sense of dramatic storytelling to a strong degree, with just enough tension and pathos to warrant repeat viewings. I would recommend this to anyone wishing to explore the Fleischers filmography beyond their more popular work.
