REFPACK 041
August-September 2021
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HD VIDEO:
Adventures of Mowgli – Ep 2: Kidnapping
Roman Davydov / Soyuzmultfilm, Russia / 1967
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In this Reference Pack, we’re continuing Roman Davydov’s series of films based on Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. The story was broken into five short films, which were produced by Soyuzmultfilm between 1967 and 1971. In 1973, the five films were trimmed and merged into a single feature film, and in 1998 it was released in America in a dubbed version narrated by Charleton Heston. Over the next several Reference Packs, we will continue to share the five shorts with their original soundtracks. Although the dialogue is in Russian, if you are familiar with the books or the Disney version, you’ll have no trouble following along.
Davydov’s first film was produced independently of Disney’s Jungle Book and was released the very same year. They make an interesting subject for comparison and contrast. Disney’s version relies heavily on the personalties of the voice actors, rather than the characters in the story itself. It’s funnier, tending towards being goofy at times, and takes a relatively light-hearted pass at the story. Davydov’s version couldn’t be more different. It follows the book more closely, seriously addressing the themes of death, duty and the meaning of being a human being.
This time we are presenting the second episode, titled "Kidnapping". Here is Wikipedia’s synopsis of the action:
Rakshura’s cubs, including Mowgli are being taught to hunt by Baloo. The bear scolds Mowgli for running like a man. They arrive at a watering hole full of crocodiles. Baloo teaches Mowgli the call of the jungle, “We are of one blood, you and I.” Bagheera arrives and teaches Mowgli to climb trees and jump from one to another. A group of monkeys in the trees see Mowgli free an elephant from a trap laid by the villagers. They decide that even without a tail, he could be useful to the pack of monkeys. While Mowgli sleeps, the monkeys kidnap him and sweep him off to the ruins of an abandoned city in the jungle.
Baloo and Bagheera run after them, but realize that they need more help to rescue Mowgli from the gang of monkeys. They enlist the help of the python, Kaa. An eagle flying above them tells them that he saw Mowgli being carried away by the monkeys. Mowgli had asked him for help invoking the call of the jungle. The eagle tells them about the abandoned city, and the three set off to find it. Baloo and Bagheera arrive first, but they are quickly overwhelmed by the monkeys. Kaa arrives and the monkeys form a circle around him. Kaa performs a hypnotizing dance, and the monkeys are tempted to come closer and closer. Bagheera and Baloo are nearly caught in the trap as well, but Mowgli takes the opportunity to drag them away and go back home.
We will have part three for you in the next Reference Pack.
REFPACK041: Mowgli Ep02
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SD VIDEO:
Well, Just You Wait Ep.02
Vyacheslav Kotyonochkin / Soyuzmultfilm, Russia / 1970
We continue the Russian Wolf and Rabbit cartoons with episode 02, "Fairground At Night".
The premise of Nu, Pogodi! (which translates into English as Well, Just You Wait!) was pitched by a writing team of satirical humorists to many directors at Soyuzmultfilm, but was rejected every time. Finally in 1969, Gennady Sokolsky agreed to direct a 2 1/2 minute pilot for the series in an omnibus film called "Happy Merry Go Round". The general consensus at the studio was that the cartoon was "low class" and beneath the dignity of Soyuzmultfilm, but director Vyacheslav Kotyonochkin strongly believed in the concept, so the studio decided to take a chance and allow him to direct a few episodes… and then a few more… and then more.
Kotyonochkin was proven correct. The cartoons were a huge success. Between 1969 and 2006, Soyuzmultfilm ended up making 22 episodes, and in a 2014 poll of audiences all over Russia, Well, Just You Wait! was voted the most popular cartoon series of all time by a landslide. Although the series resembles both Tom & Jerry and the Roadrunner and Coyote series, the director, Kotyonochkin claimed not to have ever seen any of these Hollywood cartoons until 1987 when his son got a video tape recorder and Western tapes began to be imported.
In these Russian cartoons, there’s almost no dialogue, and the action almost always occurs on screen. Static tableaux are rare, as are detailed backgrounds and "on model" drawings. These cartoons focus on expressive poses and movement, and save time and expense by avoiding the careful cleanup required for character model details and overlapping action. The theory here is, if it moves funny, it’s funny… and they are right about that.
Shamus Culhane once lamented that television animation consisted of mostly lip-sync animation. He would have preferred to do away with lip-sync entirely and just have simple drawings that really move. Well, Just You Wait proves that he was correct.
We will have more Wolf and Rabbit cartoons in upcoming Reference Packs.
REFPACK041: Well Just You Wait Ep. 02
MP4 Video File / SD / 09:32 / 139 MB Download
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SD VIDEO:
Dog, Cat And… Ep 2
Zofia Oraczewska / Studio Miniatur Filmowych, Poland / 1972
In this Reference Pack, we are sharing another short cartoon from a series produced by Studio Miniatur Filmowych, Pies, Kot I… which translates to Dog, Cat And… This is a different sort of take on the Tom & Jerry model, with the opponents outsmarting each other instead of just chasing each other out of hate or hunger. There is more to the relationship between the characters than just rivalry. The relationship of the characters makes it easy to see how it relates to slapstick comedy teams like Laurel & Hardy and Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton. The dog and cat are not just generic animals, but individual personalities with a dynamic relationship that is much more engaging than most “cat and mouse” or “dog and cat” cartoons.
These cartoons are almost devoid of dialogue with the focus on loose, funny animation. In fact, the drawings are often hilarious on their own, even removed from their context within the gag sequence. The facial expressions are well observed, and the poses employ clear silhouettes that form funny graphic shapes.
Well, Just You Wait!, and Dog, Cat And… both are very efficient at what they do. They could easily serve as a model for internet animation. The internet encourages repeat viewing more than television does. When you watch a dialogue driven cartoon on TV, once you’ve heard the jokes, you don’t need to watch it again. However, a short cartoon that looks and moves funny is entertaining no matter how many times you watch it. And for the animator who is making the cartoon, it’s a lot more fun to animate simple funny characters than it is to animated a lot of tedious lip-sync.
Dog, Cat And… looks like it was a lot of fun to make. The film makers at Studio Miniatur Filmowych didn’t feel constrained by the ordinary lives of animals. Their characters can drive cars, build their own houses and go to exotic places. That freedom allowed the animators to keep their series fresh, and gave them the opportunity to experiment within a 10 minute format. Simple drawings, funny movement and no rules… these are the kinds of series that would work well as episodic internet cartoons.
We will have more episodes from this series in upcoming Reference Packs.
REFPACK041: Dog Cat And… Ep02
MP4 Video File / SD / 09:12 / 124 MB Download
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