The Raymond Briggs' The Snowman
by Dianne Jackson
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DVD details
Actor: Peter Auty, Raymond BriggsDirector: Dianne Jackson
Brand: Unknown
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); French (Dubbed), Unknown
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 26 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-10-24
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Sony Pictures
DVD Reviews of The Raymond Briggs' The Snowman
DVD Review: If you'll forgive the snow-related pun, this is DEEP
Summary: 5 Stars
Here's a challenge for you: Try to watch this animated short film just once. Just try to resist the temptation you'll feel to go back to the beginning and start this amazing film all over again.
You won't be able to do resist; that much I can promise you.
This is by far one of the most amazing short films I have ever seen. This is film about a mutual exploration; the child-protaganist builds The Snowman, and then through magic, this Snowman comes to life. The child invites the Snowman indoors, where the child shows the Snowman the inside of the house. The Snowman explores the child's world, showing the audience how things so familiar to us become things of oddity and wonder to the Snowman.
Then, in turn, the Snowman invites the child to explore the Snowman's world. It is at this point of the film that we are taken on a flying journey into the magical world of the snowman, a world that observes our own, but is still apart from our own.
Be prepared for the ending of this film: It is NOT what you would expect at all. It says something about what we lose when we cease to be children, and become adults.
It is impossible not to be deeply emotionally effected by this amazing short movie. I recommend it unreservedly.
DVD Review: A Family Favorite for a Lifetime!
Summary: 5 Stars
This moving film is one of my favorite things about the Christmas season! I am now 25 and have watched this over and over as the years have passed, since I was a young child. My parents only had it on VHS and now have misplaced it. I purchased the DVD copy and plan to suprise my family with it on Christmas morning! This is something EVERYONE will enjoy. It's moving, touching and the music/animations are amazing. If you have not seen it, you should and start your own family traditions with The Snowman! DVD Review: Spell binding for my 4 year old class
Summary: 5 Stars
I show this movie every year to my 4 year old class. Most of them do not speak English so this is a great movie because it does not have words nor does it need any. They sit in spellbound silence during the entire movie. It is truly a classic. I highly recommend it.DVD Review: The Snowman Cometh
Summary: 5 Stars
Expecting an animation treat, it's still a bit unusual that the first scene in "The Snowman" isn't a cartoon, but a live shot of a barren landscape. A faceless man with his back to the camera walks into view, and as he recedes into the distance beneath the bare, gnarled trees that resemble whipped hydras, he narrates in a slow downhearted voice that shockingly become the last words ever to be spoken throughout the scant 26 minutes of this animation masterpiece. On his closing words the glum terrain transforms into a wonderland of soft pastel stroke animation, a piano begins to twinkle sadly and the stage is set for a storytelling with no character names or dialogue.
Originally debuting in 1982 on the BBC Channel in London, "The Snowman" was adapted by Raymond Briggs' children's book of the same name. Later as a DVD, all of the magic is still intact as we witness the playful adventures of a boy and his new snowman friend. Insofar as a plot, the previous sentence pretty much says it all. In the middle of the night, the boy's Snowman creation magically comes to life and they begin to play and explore in and around the house that's nestled in a snowy English village.
"The Snowman" is one of my perennial Christmas favorites because it is a feat in simplicity. Whether the boy and snowman are dancing, playing dress-up or riding a motorbike, its innocent charms could easily threaten diabetic shock. But there's no manipulation here, no hidden agenda. The Snowman's heart and artistry lie in the confluence of its technical aspects to form a simple, quiet, yet resonant story. There's the use of crosshatched pastel colors that reveal a coloring book come to life. Snow and icy tundra have never been rendered so warmly, resembling more like puffs of wool. Faces are rosy cheeked, ambient lighting is glowing but never harsh, and fires seem to exist only to warm and toast, but never burn.
Since there's no dialogue, the music propels the narrative. Stark and whimsical as the story itself, the score hypnotizes as it bobs and weaves through each of their adventures. The musical accompaniment accentuates without over dramatizing, and beautifully complements the supple crayon-etching look. Never is this more apparent than the enchanting sequence where the Snowman and boy fly off to the North Pole. Accompanied by an airy solo from The Scottish Boy's Choir, the scene becomes a wondrous and ethereal journey. Like an aging leaf, you won't notice how subtly your mouth will curl into a little smile when you watch this sequence - trust me.
While The Snowman is ideal for children of all ages, make no mistake that adults will be moved by it too. The story is a heartwarming setup that leads to an emotional wallop of an ending. No doubt a blindside, it leaves its indelible message without treacle, yet still on a child's terms. Without giving too much away, it's a heartbreaking metaphor for the exact moment in our young lives when we lose our first bit of innocence and unknowingly head toward adulthood. To this day, it still stands as the most moving thing I've ever seen on TV or film.
DVD Review: A must for everyone.
Summary: 5 Stars
The Snowman is easily one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, movie, cartoon, or otherwise. I am not one to over dramatize; The Snowman touches a place in my heart that nothing else ever has. The film brings me to tears every time I watch it. Its innocence, fun, beauty, artistry, and grace are timeless. When I first saw it, I was in 2nd grade during the holiday season, and I was floored. Even then, I was reduced to tears during the "Walking in the Air" scenes. This sounds silly, but even now, I remember sitting in the classroom, tears rolling down my face, thinking: "This is so beautiful." I am getting choked up now just writing about it.
A very moving, powerful piece, I suggest that everyone (not just those with children) view The Snowman at least once in their lifetime.
Description of The Raymond Briggs' The Snowman
A young boy's snowman comes to life on Christmas Eve and takes him to meet Santa Clause at the North Pole.Genre: Children's Video
Rating: NR
Release Date: 29-NOV-2006
Media Type: DVD
This charming British animated short film (it's just 23 minutes long) is a 1982 production of London's Channel 4, based on the classic children's book by Raymond Briggs and crafted with a colored-pencils-on-paper look, like fluffy, hand-drawn illustrations. Small children should be entranced by the story of a small boy in rural England whose lovingly constructed snowman comes to life and takes him flying over the white-blanketed landscapes, in a beautiful rotoscoped (traced) sequence based on live-action flying footage. Part of the charm of the film is the gentle, everyday quality of its fantasy adventures: the snowman is invited in to try on clothes and play with the Christmas decorations, then plays host to the boy at a party in the woods, at which his snowy relatives do English country dances. This is one of the very few Christmas tapes on the market that really deserves to be a holiday perennial, a gentle fable of friendship and the power of imagination. --David Chute
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