I used to watch a lot of television when I was a boy. And one cartoon that has always stayed dear to my heart was "Die Avonture van Mnr Rossi." Of course, that was a translated from Italian, with the three movies divided into a series of aproximately 20 minutes each. That would have made the series about 12 episodes. I'm not even sure if the series was translated from an earlier foreign series or just divided up by the local broadcaster.
But still these cartoons that have reached animation cult classic status in continental Europe are far better, in a certain sense, than any of the cartoons that the US comes up with.
Signor Rossi is about the adventures of a big nosed man and his dog and their sureal situations that they find themselves in. It is much better than Animaniacs, although there is less anarchy and more character building. Not that developes a lot, really, but it shows that it has at least depth.
"Signor Rossi cerca la felicità" specifically, although the second movie, it is really, chronologically, the first.
Rossi is a small man who has formed a routine. He eats his breakfast (overlooking his heartless boss' mansion who just happens to be his neighbour), gets attacked by Gastone (Harold in the English versions) the Boss' dog, works at a fish-packing plant, then goes home and eat a fish. The routine is driving him nuts and he calls out for help!
Suddenly a Fairy godmother appears on a wooden horse and hands him a magic whistle that let's him travel through time and space! Soon Rossi and Gastone go the Middle Ages, ancient Egypt and the bizarre fairy land. And all this with truly SUREAL song numbers. The Cannibal's Song (Boo-Boo-Bo-Hanna-Boo) is the most memmorable of them all, next to "Tut-Ankhkamen Cha-cha-cha" and in "Mr Rossi's Dream" the "Cat Blues Tune". These songs have no real words, not even in Italian, but they are great! Moulin Rouge, beware!
Mr Rossi, unlike Tintin the Reporter (one of my favourites), Superman, Batman, Asterix, et cetera is that it Mr Rossi is an everyman. He could be you, me, anyone! His dreams of breaking free from routine and finding happiness is really what we all desire!
Does the movie has a message? Sure! But that would be giving away the ending! The other two movies don't really have messages or character building, but they are great!
Three cheers for Bonzotto!
I wouldn't mind having this on DVD!
