The Snow Queen

Year of release : 1957

Run time : 1h8m

Genre : Family / Fantasy / Musical

The movie is a Soviet 1957 animated musical based on the 1844 fairy tale “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen.

Old Dreamy, the prince of dreams, talks about Hans Christian Andersen’s stories, and tells the story of Kai and Gerda, two small kids who live in houses connected through a small bridge where they planted 2 roses, a white and red one to represent them and their friendship, who listen to the story of the Snow Queen told by Gerda’s grandmother one winter night.

Hearing about the Snow Queen, Kai says he’ll protect Gerda of her, and put the queen on the stove to melt her (this after Gerda says she can see her on the window watching them). The queen, who watches them through her magic ice mirror, grows angry and smashes her mirror, sending the cold splinters of ice into the eyes (so everything will turn ugly) and hearts (to become evil and do evil) of the ones who offended her.

The blizzard sent by the queen opens the windows of the room the kids are in (for some unknown reason granny doesn’t react to it) and two splinters of ice enter the eye and heart of Kai, turning him cold and evil, before they can manage to close the windows.

When the Snow Queen comes for him, he runs to her sleigh, and leaves with her to the North Pole, where he will know nor joy nor sorrow, but peace, she says.

The winter had passed, and Gerda is asking the swallows about Kai, and then offers her red shoes to the river, if it could take her to Kai.

The river carries her to an enchanted land, where a sorceress keeps on telling her she’s tired, making her forget about everything.

When Gerda comes to her senses, she runs away, and meets Mr. Corax. She tells him she is looking for a brave boy, so he takes her to the castle he works for, to meet the prince engaged to the princess.

Gerda can’t wait, so she bursts into the rooms of the royals at night, while they’re sleeping (apparently there were no guards there, that a kid could slip though).

The animation is Ok, but apparently this story doesn’t grip me, as this is the 3d version of it I watched, and still don’t like it.

Gerda only finds good characters who help her on her quest.

The animation looked beautiful, it was made using traditional hand-drawn storybook illustration merged with fluid realism. It has rich watercolor background, and beautiful, subtle character designs.

The English dubbing was great. The voice actors did an amazing job!

The soundtrack was Ok. It sounded like the US made for children soundtracks. I think it might be the English version of the soundtrack and not the original.

You can find the full animation on YouTube with English dubbing.

Rating : Could have been a contender !