And again a failed film adaptation. The first adaptation of Peter and the Wolf was released by Disney in 1946. Well-drawn, that version suffers from an overabundance of ludicrous imagery, like many American short films of the time. But it is all the more insulting that the Soviet cartoon of 1958 turned out even worse.
And the first thing that is depressing is the puppet animation. Both the appearance and movements of the characters are so conditional that even compared to some rocky prehistoric drawings, there is a lack of realism. Apparently, in those years, the animators did not yet understand that a large number of frames is necessary for frame-by-frame animation . However, even with the right frequency, the cartoon has huge (even larger than the wolf) problems with the visual. Trees, hills, backs and especially the water surface are carved from painted paper or reflective film - all these materials are clearly visible to the naked eye, since the operator as if deliberately delays the camera from the most unsuccessful angles . For example, the city on the horizon is a picture and it is held before our eyes for a few seconds.
Surprisingly, even the plot of the Soviet version noticeably loses to Disney. If your piggy bank has enough Soviet cartoons, then after the next phrase you will understand everything: there is a cat in the plot. Yes, it is shown to be a villain. Who said ‘meow’?, ‘Dog and Cat’, ‘Dog in Boots’ and ‘Peter and Wolf’ – these and other cartoons are imbued with inexplicable hatred of cats, developing in the audience the unnatural belief that cats are one harm. I don’t want to talk much about it, so I will limit myself to a restrained reproach and move on to the final.
There is one surprising similarity between the Disney and Soviet versions: both cartoons lack direct speech. Instead of it, voice-over one-voice comments will sound, but if Disney perceives them as a need to emphasize the non-American setting, then I don’t understand why the Soviet version is limited to one voice. Maybe then it was thought that puppet projects - too dubious sphere, and therefore many actors avoided such cartoons? How do I understand them?
As a result, this cartoon leaves even more unpleasant impressions than the American competitor. It is a shame that, having such an amazing musical potential, Peter and the Wolf still can not boast of having a decent film adaptation.
2 out of 10