The Old Mill

Humor - Pathos - Suspense - Beauty - it's all here in this 8 minute gem! This is one I can watch again and again and again and enjoy every minute of it. A nice foreshadow of great things to come: Fantasia, Bambi, etc.

The Old Mill (1937)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Excellent Silly Symphonies short from Disney takes place at the title location. We see an old mill and then we witness several animals take shelter there just as a major storm starts to blow in.

If you're looking for some sort of plot or character driven story then you're going to be disappointed. This really reminded me of what Disney would do a few years later in FANTASIA as this here is really all about the visuals and the score that goes with it. The images are certainly quite beautiful and it's easy to see something like this and realize why Disney really did change animation and especially when you compare this to other bits of animation from this period. The colors of the creatures make them come to life and the storm itself just has so much detail that you can just feel the wind blowing on your neck. Certainly one of the studios best works.

The Old Mill is a genuine masterpiece from Disney`s chest of treasures. It is not a witty movie, so those of you who must laugh at a Disneymovie better avoid this.

The setting is an old mill, which you should guess from the title. The Old Mill is filled with atmosphere, nice drawings and classic music, which makes it a real joy to watch. 9,5/10

The Old Mill was a Silly Symphony developed as a test for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which was just going into production at the time. What came out of it is utterly beautiful. It is possibly the best Disney short, even rivalling The Skeleton Dance. 10/10.

I can't praise this beautiful masterpiece of a cartoon enough. The animation is absolutely stunning, and the storm effects were excellent, certainly give Snow White and Fantasia a run for their money. I didn't find the Old Mill dull in any way, it was beautiful and just perfect. Another special mention has to go to the music, its lyricality somehow reminded me of the countryside on a beautiful summer's day, and the animals the swallows especially were a delight. They never spoke, but were beautifully incorporated into the story, and there was a lot of genuine fright when the storm started. Who wouldn't be frightened, it was a truly wonderful moment.

Overall, just beautiful, I can't find another word to describe how good it really was. I will admit I forgot I was watching a eight minute or so cartoon, and insisted I was watching a work of art. 10/10 Bethany Cox