Soyuzmultfilm's, courtesy of the Brumberg sisters, 1949's 'Chudesnyy kolokolchik' is based on the Ukranian folk-tale 'Daughter and Stepdaughter'. That is a charming story, with the mouse and bear memorable characters and the stepmother a suitably beastly antagonist. The ending though has always disturbed me and makes the mouse and bear to me less likeable than they are in the rest of the story.
'Chudesnyy kolokolchik' is among the best of Soyuzmultfilm's early efforts (if not one of their overall best in a consistently high standard filmography). In a filmography that includes 'The Lost Letter' and 'The Night Before Christmas', both examples of how to adapt the stories of Nikolai Gogol, it's also another one of the Brumberg sisters' gems. It does a good job with the story, though in my view a longer length by about 10 minutes to tell it would have made it even better, it does have enough story to fit that length. The basic details and spirit are there, though the ending is changed (in details that is, there is a disturbing air about this ending too thanks to the nightmarish imagery).
It's not one of their best-looking or most interesting perhaps, other Soyuzmultfilm animations have more expressive character designs, but the animation is still very good. The character design of the bear, the painterly and vividly coloured backgrounds and nightmarish imagery in the climax standing out. The music is both sumptuous and haunting, the Soviet music style immediately distinctive.
The writing is easy to understand, so the story doesn't get confused, while not being overly simple or taking it too seriously. The story always compels and charms, there shouldn't be any trouble understanding what's going on and a great successful effort is made making it accessible.
All the characters carry this story beautifully, with a likeable and rootable protagonist, a beastly antagonist and memorable characters in the mouse and especially the bear. The voice acting always sounds engaged and fits the characters at least, nothing sounding too theatrical (even the stepmother).
All in all, great. 9/10
