Dec 6, 2023·edited Dec 6, 2023Liked by Animation Obsessive Staff
I think watching 'Raggedy Ann' made me more appreciative of Williams than I was before, so I went into 'A Christmas Carol' with an open mind this time. I enjoyed it quite a bit, even more with all the context you provided. I disagree with the contemporary notion that this was a waste of effort for not utilising the strengths of the medium. I love animated films that bring to life a specific style of illustrated art, and this one ranks among the most mesmerising examples. The greyish, sketchy look greatly aided the haunting atmosphere, and you couldn't integrate ghosts as convincingly in live-action. In the sound department, the lack of music struck me as an excellent choice, and Alastair Sim is so good!
PS: A little tip. La Cinémathèque française is streaming 9 restored Ukrainian animated films on their platform 'Henri'. Some are very interesting. https://www.cinematheque.fr/henri/#ukranima
Great comment! Totally agree that the style wasn't a "misuse of the medium," even if it seemed retrograde to many at the time. Happy to know you enjoyed the film and that our article even improved the experience a little. (And thanks a ton for the tip!)
I must have missed this the last time. Great read! I am glad the ReCobbled channel has so many Richard Williams stuff to share, including the really nice upload you included in the article. When I was still in school I would have probably have thought this was not "cartoony" enough but being a little older I can appreciate more what Richards et al. did, especially with how full body characters move.
I think to myself though, that man on the boat during the "flight" section, that has to be rotoscope, no? It looks like live action with a photo filter.
Thanks very much! As for rotoscoping, Williams claimed that they didn't use it (or much live-action reference at all). It's possible that they made an exception due to time, though, despite his insistence of taking "longcuts" instead of "shortcuts" throughout the production.
I suppose this post is really about the tension between doing something on-trend and something with depth of integrity. Although it’s a tough call to move away from what the herd loves, Williams was investing in deeper mastery. 80s bands who stick to their catalogue of past hits surely grow a little dead inside at each reunion gig, whereas there’s always new ground to explore and enjoy even if it doesn’t always appeal to the marketing department.
Like everything about Williams, it's a bit of a messy story that's open to different interpretations -- it depends on your view of Williams and his work.
Some at the time (especially the old guys) saw him as a maverick genius fighting to save animation. Others (especially on the cutting edge back then) saw him as artistically regressive. His unforgiving perfectionism was either a sign of high artistic standards or a toxic neurosis, or somewhere in between. His fanboyish adoration of the Disney legends, his obsessive tracing and re-tracing of Milt Kahl's animation for the tiger from The Jungle Book, taught him a lot but was joked about even by his idols. He was a complex and polarizing figure. But we do find him fascinating to research!
Lovely piece as always. So fascinating to hear the stories of the perfectionists across animation's history - the sacrifices, the achievement, and all the work! It's always half inspiring and half cautionary tale. But no matter what, it's always a dramatic story!
I think watching 'Raggedy Ann' made me more appreciative of Williams than I was before, so I went into 'A Christmas Carol' with an open mind this time. I enjoyed it quite a bit, even more with all the context you provided. I disagree with the contemporary notion that this was a waste of effort for not utilising the strengths of the medium. I love animated films that bring to life a specific style of illustrated art, and this one ranks among the most mesmerising examples. The greyish, sketchy look greatly aided the haunting atmosphere, and you couldn't integrate ghosts as convincingly in live-action. In the sound department, the lack of music struck me as an excellent choice, and Alastair Sim is so good!
PS: A little tip. La Cinémathèque française is streaming 9 restored Ukrainian animated films on their platform 'Henri'. Some are very interesting. https://www.cinematheque.fr/henri/#ukranima
Great comment! Totally agree that the style wasn't a "misuse of the medium," even if it seemed retrograde to many at the time. Happy to know you enjoyed the film and that our article even improved the experience a little. (And thanks a ton for the tip!)
I must have missed this the last time. Great read! I am glad the ReCobbled channel has so many Richard Williams stuff to share, including the really nice upload you included in the article. When I was still in school I would have probably have thought this was not "cartoony" enough but being a little older I can appreciate more what Richards et al. did, especially with how full body characters move.
I think to myself though, that man on the boat during the "flight" section, that has to be rotoscope, no? It looks like live action with a photo filter.
Thanks very much! As for rotoscoping, Williams claimed that they didn't use it (or much live-action reference at all). It's possible that they made an exception due to time, though, despite his insistence of taking "longcuts" instead of "shortcuts" throughout the production.
This is a truly excellent piece. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Much appreciated! So glad you enjoyed it.
Fantastic!
Thank you!
I suppose this post is really about the tension between doing something on-trend and something with depth of integrity. Although it’s a tough call to move away from what the herd loves, Williams was investing in deeper mastery. 80s bands who stick to their catalogue of past hits surely grow a little dead inside at each reunion gig, whereas there’s always new ground to explore and enjoy even if it doesn’t always appeal to the marketing department.
Like everything about Williams, it's a bit of a messy story that's open to different interpretations -- it depends on your view of Williams and his work.
Some at the time (especially the old guys) saw him as a maverick genius fighting to save animation. Others (especially on the cutting edge back then) saw him as artistically regressive. His unforgiving perfectionism was either a sign of high artistic standards or a toxic neurosis, or somewhere in between. His fanboyish adoration of the Disney legends, his obsessive tracing and re-tracing of Milt Kahl's animation for the tiger from The Jungle Book, taught him a lot but was joked about even by his idols. He was a complex and polarizing figure. But we do find him fascinating to research!
Lovely piece as always. So fascinating to hear the stories of the perfectionists across animation's history - the sacrifices, the achievement, and all the work! It's always half inspiring and half cautionary tale. But no matter what, it's always a dramatic story!
Thanks, Daniel. "Half inspiring and half cautionary tale" is a great way to put it!