"Le petit soldat qui devient Dieu" (The Little Soldier Who Became a God) is one of the earliest examples of stop-motion that you can find. Too bad the story just isn't very good. And, too bad the quality of the nitrate print is just awful.
The film begins with a little girl getting a box of toy soldiers. Then the audience is treated to the box opening up and soldiers marching about in stop-motion. Somehow one of the soldiers ends up in the river where it is picked up by MEGA-WEIRD folks. Now you CLEARLY can see that it's the Seine in Paris (the Eiffel Tower is in the distance). But, the natives look like ridiculous black-faced folks wearing cheap American Indian headdresses! Then, these ridiculous folks take a time-out from butchering someone to examine and TASTE the soldier. The boss black-Indian then declares it's a god and they all worship it! What was Cohl thinking?! Was he using crack?!
The film begins with a little girl getting a box of toy soldiers. Then the audience is treated to the box opening up and soldiers marching about in stop-motion. Somehow one of the soldiers ends up in the river where it is picked up by MEGA-WEIRD folks. Now you CLEARLY can see that it's the Seine in Paris (the Eiffel Tower is in the distance). But, the natives look like ridiculous black-faced folks wearing cheap American Indian headdresses! Then, these ridiculous folks take a time-out from butchering someone to examine and TASTE the soldier. The boss black-Indian then declares it's a god and they all worship it! What was Cohl thinking?! Was he using crack?!
