The King and the Mockingbird (French: Le Roi et l’oiseau), 1980.
Directed by Paul Grimault.
Featuring the voice talents of Jean Martin, Pascal Mazzotti, Raymond Bussières, Agnès Viala and Renaud Marx.
SYNOPSIS:
A chimney sweep and a shepherdess seek to escape from the clutches of a tyrannical king.
The modern animation industry is very much a business, as opposed to an art-form or creative industry. Looking at recent uninspired projects and unnecessary sequels such as Monsters University and Planes just to name a few, it’s easy to come to some clear conclusions about the state of contemporary animation. If it’s not highly merchandised, franchised or derivative, it doesn’t seem to get made, at least by the likes of Disney or Pixar.
The recent retiring of the masterful Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli fame only helps further cement this uninspired era in animated history. To bring this seemingly irrelevant introduction full circle, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata cited The King and the Mockingbird as a huge inspiration to both them and their studio, one that highly influenced their textured, personal and emotive brand of storytelling. It couldn’t be a better time for StudioCanal’s awaited remaster of Paul Grimault’s unusually obscure masterpiece.
The King and the Mockingbird is an incredibly vivid animation, mostly based on a classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. Every frame has remarkable detail, each character drawing feels genuine, characterised as if they instantly have a personality or persona, regardless of the dialogue being very little. The kingdom of Takicardia is essentially steampunk, it feels very much inspired from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, but that shouldn’t sell it short. The world is quirky, unfathomable and most of all there’s so much to see.
While the visuals are fascinating, the storytelling is just as good. The tale is as simple as could be; a forbidden romance, a helpful animal companion, an evil baddie, etc. The concepts may be simple, but the world they exist in and the imagination involved are so riveting and appealing. Underneath the surface, the film is deeply satirical, humorous and surprisingly intelligent.
The King and the Mockingbird is a humble masterpiece, a milestone in French film-making and in animation. It’s a piece that’s had an unbelievable amount of thought and attention to detail put into it, reflective of its 30 years of troubled production process. The King and the Mockingbird is a heartfelt piece of cinema that’ll visually, intellectually and emotionally mystify adult and child alike.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Sam Thorne
Originally published April 14, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
