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The King and the Mockingbird

Original title: Le roi et l'oiseau
  • 1980
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
6K
YOUR RATING
The King and the Mockingbird (1980)
Trailer for The King and the Mockingbird
Play trailer1:15
1 Video
99+ Photos
FrenchHand-Drawn AnimationAnimationFamilyFantasyRomance

A chimney sweep and a shepherdess seek to escape from the clutches of a tyrannical king.A chimney sweep and a shepherdess seek to escape from the clutches of a tyrannical king.A chimney sweep and a shepherdess seek to escape from the clutches of a tyrannical king.

  • Director
    • Paul Grimault
  • Writers
    • Hans Christian Andersen
    • Jacques Prévert
    • Paul Grimault
  • Stars
    • Jean Martin
    • Pascal Mazzotti
    • Raymond Bussières
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Paul Grimault
    • Writers
      • Hans Christian Andersen
      • Jacques Prévert
      • Paul Grimault
    • Stars
      • Jean Martin
      • Pascal Mazzotti
      • Raymond Bussières
    • 32User reviews
    • 26Critic reviews
    • 87Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    The King and the Mockingbird
    Trailer 1:15
    The King and the Mockingbird

    Photos100

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    + 94
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    Top Cast25

    Edit
    Jean Martin
    Jean Martin
    • L'oiseau
    • (voice)
    Pascal Mazzotti
    Pascal Mazzotti
    • Le roi
    • (voice)
    Raymond Bussières
    Raymond Bussières
    • Le chef de la police
    • (voice)
    Agnès Viala
    • La bergère
    • (voice)
    Renaud Marx
    • Le ramoneur
    • (voice)
    Hubert Deschamps
    Hubert Deschamps
    • Le sentencieux
    • (voice)
    Roger Blin
    • L'aveugle
    • (voice)
    Philippe Derrez
    • Le liftier
    • (voice)
    • …
    Albert Médina
    • Le belluaire
    • (voice)
    • …
    Claude Piéplu
    Claude Piéplu
    • Le maire du palais
    • (voice)
    Lionel Charpy
      Jacques Colombat
        Jerry Di Giacomo
        • The King
        • (voice: English version)
        • …
        Steve Gadler
        • The Bird
        • (voice: English version)
        Patricia Kessler
        • The Shepherdess
        • (voice: English version)
        Robert Lombard
          Jean Mermet
            Vincent Montrobert
              • Director
                • Paul Grimault
              • Writers
                • Hans Christian Andersen
                • Jacques Prévert
                • Paul Grimault
              • All cast & crew
              • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

              User reviews32

              7.75.9K
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              Featured reviews

              10dbdumonteil

              Probably the best animation film of all time

              I saw this film when I was a child and it mesmerized me. I saw it recently and my fascination for this film hasn't declined. This film is a marvel. Among its particularities that are quite numerous, let's quote: the beauty of the landscapes , the harmony of the colors, the perfection of music and especially the irony of the dialogues which is not surprising as they were written by Jacques Prévert. Moreover, in this film (which was awarded by the "Louis Delluc" price in 1979 and it deserved it), Paul Grimault's goal is to show us his hatred of the tyranny and his defence in favour of the poor and the weak. The film shows a great contrast concerning this thema: the king and his court lives in modernity, in the light and in gigantic palace whereas the population lives in darkness, in obscurity and in poverty. As a conclusion sentence: a wonderful animation film which is much better than any Disney films
              10earthborn44

              Not the average animated film

              I remember watching this in school when i was a kid, later i had a tremendous struggle trying to find it again, finally got it in my hands & have watched it like 10 times since! Animation made by computer opens new grounds for sure, but most of it (if not all until today) has no soul at all, no replaying value either. Check this & don't mind the language, is so well gestured by the characters you'll understand most of & it has an excellent score as well. I can see cubist & futurist artistic movements influenced this movie too. Nothing comes close, even the best anime movie from japan!

              Only movie i ever will put a 10 on, i guess!
              boudu

              The best animation ever ?

              The poetry of Jacques Prevert's text associated with the poetry of Paul Grimault's drawing renders a unique piece of cartooning associating emotions and laughters in a rare way. It would be easy to sum up the story, but it would be like summing up a poem, it'd be a crime. Let's just say it is the story about the king V and three makes 8 and 8 makes 16.
              10simon_hoac

              One of the most memorable films of my childhood

              I was reminded of this film recently and it instantly became an obsession for me to find the English dubbed copy that I remember as a child. Finally got my hands on a copy and wow this movie is better than anything I ever saw while I was young! Sometimes you go back and watch something you loved as a child and realize how terrible it was but this film sent chills through my body, each scene playing through exactly as I remembered it in perfect detail. Anyone who saw this as a child will know what I'm talking about. The level of nostalgia that comes with this fantastic animation is above anything any other film has ever had for myself. The music is absolutely epic, beautifully written and goes with the movie perfectly. The level of storytelling that this film does is amazing despite the small amount of dialogue. Truly a classic, it is unfortunate that this film is so rare to find, especially in English. If anyone is interested please contact me.
              8emasterslake

              A one of a kind French cartoon.

              I wasn't partly familiar with it's existence till recently. But it's worth discovering over off the internet.

              The King and the Mockingbird is a little hard to understand without knowing any French. I don't know any so I just watched it and see what I can make out of the story by the actions and scenes. Takes place in a serial kingdom utopia. Where lived a king who was passionate with his image and power over people. Also in the kingdom lived a Mockingbird who watches over his kids and is a real nuisance to the King. As well as a young couple who magically came to life from the King's art gallery.

              The rest of the story is bazaar and fantastic at the same time. The movie is very hard to find in R1 DVDs. Not as well known as "Triplets of Belleville" another great French movie. But there's yet to be a Special Edition that would include English translation for all English speaking countries to enjoy this masterpiece. Since the French do have their small share of animation producing.

              The animation is old quality, because it began production as far back as the 40s. The likeness is a combination of Max Flechier/early Disney animation. And was created by a French animator, who was known as the Disney of France. I haven't seen any of his other ones. But this one here is his most well known work over in Europe.

              So if you ever come across this title be sure to see it if you like foreign animation.

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              Related interests

              Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)
              French
              Jodi Benson, Jason Marin, and Samuel E. Wright in The Little Mermaid (1989)
              Hand-Drawn Animation
              Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)
              Animation
              Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
              Family
              Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
              Fantasy
              Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
              Romance

              Storyline

              Edit

              Did you know

              Edit
              • Trivia
                Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki has cited the film as a major influence.
              • Alternate versions
                The film was originally published in 1952 under the title "The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird". This 62 minute version was incomplete and was published against the wishes of Grimault and Prevert. Later Grimault attained the rights to the movie for the now definitive 1980 final cut.
              • Connections
                Edited from The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird (1952)

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              FAQ17

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              Details

              Edit
              • Release date
                • March 19, 1980 (France)
              • Country of origin
                • France
              • Official sites
                • Independent Cinema Office (ICO) (United Kingdom)
                • Official Facebook (France)
              • Language
                • French
              • Also known as
                • The King and Mister Bird
              • Production companies
                • Les Films Paul Grimault
                • Les Films Gibé
                • France 2 (FR2)
              • See more company credits at IMDbPro

              Box office

              Edit
              • Gross US & Canada
                • $27,513
              • Opening weekend US & Canada
                • $3,721
                • Nov 23, 2014
              • Gross worldwide
                • $167,451
              See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

              Tech specs

              Edit
              • Runtime
                • 1h 23m(83 min)
              • Color
                • Color
              • Sound mix
                • Mono
              • Aspect ratio
                • 1.37 : 1

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