Red crook An interesting 1953 cartoon with a moral about pretense. Not devoid of controversial issues.
Foxes in Slavic folklore have always acted intelligent and, as a rule, negative characters who harm not only people, but also forest animals. This is partly so: foxes often harm badgers, for example, by soiling their burrows. In “The Colored Fox”, the main character-robber by the will of circumstances for some time becomes not an outcast of the forest, but a real king: both the wolf and even the bear begin to fear him. The cunning man, of course, quite rubs his paws ...
The viewer gets the opportunity to laugh at the credulity of the forest people, however ... there are some very dubious moments in the cartoon. First, it is strange that almost no one recognizes the fox purely externally. Is it enough for a perfect disguise to repaint the color of the coat? Secondly, it is strange that a rabbit, realizing that it is a predator, trustingly and even gladly tells him about his cubs. What were you counting on, mom? Thirdly, in some scenes it is shown too large, almost from the paw of a bear. Only extinct deinogalerixes grew to such large sizes, and now there are no such huge hedgehogs.
It’s a little pity that the cartoon treats the wolf unfairly: it makes him look like a fool, and in the end it forgets about him. Perhaps this is the main drawback along with the fact that the main character has unnaturally thin jaws. Otherwise, "Painted Fox" is able to please: there is pleasant music, convincing drama and, importantly, beautiful animation. In the 1950s, Soviet artists sought realism, for which they were valued. Forest, animals and human village in the frame as real. And if the human characters in those years were usually depicted by photo, then with animals had to get out with stuffed things, no other way.
I won’t say that this is a really successful cartoon of the 1950s, but it is worth watching.
7 out of 10