High Note (1960)
Surreal but beautiful.
1 July 2003
This is one of those cartoons which are abstract and obscure, feature no famed character and is really a work of art. This is one of the cartoons which Jones might have dreamed of; something he really wanted to put on paper. Though not outright funny and not something that little kids would really understand or like. It could be a cartoon into which a lot of thought and underlying self-expression was channelled; on the other hand it could be an aimless study of the line which was not aimed at success but a simple experiment by the animators. What's with the two background artists anyway? They seemed to have been lazing 'cause there don't seem to be any scenery! Or maybe they were the ones who drew the notes... A very stylized cartoon, and one of the few sensible choices made by the Academy to be nominated for best cartoon. It should have won, but it didn't. A great example of opera. Except for maybe The Dot and the Line (1965), no cartoon based upon no real character and really very artistic and stylized would surpass this. If you narrow it down to that kind of OPERA, then this is unsurpassed. Anyway, without any specifications this is (or should be) classified as one of the best ten cartoons ever; at least top 20. Highly recommended. Should be in print on something besides laserdisc (I have an LD-player but you don't get LDs anymore).
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