Crac

CRAC goes the tree as it falls to earth, its lumber soon to be fashioned into a sturdy rocking chair destined to become a prominent part of the home of a Quebecois frontier family.

This little French Canadian film is pure animated joy. Telling its story from the viewpoint of a piece of furniture, it is served exceedingly well by its exuberant, expressionistic drawing brimming with pastel colors. Interweaving convivial, lighthearted dance music with snatches of lullaby & legend, it tells its multi-layered, beautifully detailed story without the need of obtrusive dialogue. A true modern classic, this is a film which should delight viewers for generations to come.

Winner of the 1981 Oscar for Best Animated Short.

This short, one of the most deserving winners of the Academy Award in its category that I've had the pleasure of seeing, is simply magnificent, Excellent idea, wonderful animation and music, marvelous pacing and transitions, just glorious on all counts! The ending is perfect! Frederic Back made at least three other shorts besides this one and I truly wish I could find any or all of them in-print on VHS. So far as I know, they've never been available in the United States. *SIGH* Well, Crac is in print, at least. Most completely and joyously recommended.

"Crac" is beautifully animated short following the life and creation of a rocking chair. It is a testament to the power of visual story telling. The short is an excellent pairing of charming colored pencils sketches and wonderful thematically appropriate music. The story reminds me of Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree". The impact this tree and this chair had on the life of this man his family and future generations. This could also be seen as a precursor of Pixar projects. The idea of giving emotion to the inanimate object can lead to some sweet and thoughtful moments. Overall, this is a very charming and likable short, and I will try to keep my thoughts on it likewise.

This French-Canadian film is simply gorgeous--like a moving tapestry. For the time it was made, this was a standout film that begged to be noticed for both its artistic styling as well as the fascinating history lesson contained within.

The film begins with a chair being built long, long ago. As the years passed and life changed around the chair, it's all shown in a magically lyrical manner--with lovely folk music, dancing and visuals.

To me, this is a film that tries to encapsulate the entire pioneering spirit and link it to today. It achieves it spectacularly and is well worth seeking out--since, unfortunately, the film is practically forgotten today even though it did receive the Oscar for Best Animated Short in 1982.

Very interesting short film by Frédéric Back, the same that gave us «L'Homme qui plantait des arbres» in 1988. In this short film (15 minutes), we see the cycles and the seasons of life through the eyes of a rocking chair. A look back at the traditions and folklore of French-Canada.

Again in this one, the animation is fantastic. Traditional french-canadian music was carefully selected for the film.

Out of 100, I gave it 82.