by Laura Lai/ Review
Why not an animation musical just
a few days before Christmas when we are all more or less like children? I
thought of ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town’ from 1970 told and sung by
Fred Astaire, produced and directed by Arthur Ranking jr. and Jules Bass.
The movie starts as a black and
white news report – probably also to suggest the idea that Santa Claus brings
toys to Black and White children alike – and continues as an animation movie.
It is the story of Santa Claus told by the mailman (Fred Astaire) delivering
the post to Santa.
The
animation is an answer to many questions children usually have for Santa: why
his suit is red, why ho-ho-ho, why he brings toys, why Kris Kringle became
Santa Claus, why he and Mrs. Claus decided to live at the North Pole, why
flying reindeers, etc.
I
particularly liked two scenes and they both imply Mr. Winter ruling over the
Mountain of the Whispering Winds. The first scene I liked is metaphorical: Winter
caught the young Kris Kringle for daring to go across the mountain and deliver
toys to the children in the nearest village. But as rude and as cold as Winter
was, he softens and he shows the child in him when getting his ‘chin-chin’, a
toy he wanted when he was a child. The second scene I loved in this movie is
magical. Winter becomes Kris Kringle’s (and later, Santa Claus) helper and
loses some of his magical powers. But when Mr. and Mrs. Claus get married on
Christmas Eve in front of a Christmas tree, he still finds some magic, in order
to turn on all the lights in the tree and create a fairy tale atmosphere.
Enjoy this animation musical that
is both joyful and interesting for both children and adults. And have a Beautiful
and Merry Christmas!
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