The Wind in the Willows (1983)
One spring, Mole decides that he can ignore the spring cleaning for a little longer, and begins a series of adventures with his new friend Rat. They go for a picnic on the riverbank, on a caravan expedition with Toad, until Toad switches allegiance to his new car and his reckless driving makes Mole and Rat search out Badger for help in curbing Toad's profligate habits. But Toad gets away from them and gets a 20-year sentence from the magistrate for theft, reckless driving, and Gross Impertinence. While Toad works his wiles on the jailer's daughter and escapes jail dressed as a washer woman, Badger tries to guard Toad Hall from the machinations of the Weasels and is badly beaten. And it requires a plan of attack and all four comrades to regain Toad Hall.
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I love this movie so much
It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.
Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
This is a TV movie of the children's novel, "The Wind and the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932). From that book, another British author wrote a play that made Toad Hall well known in England. Alan A. Mile's (1882-1956) "Toad of Toad Hall" was first staged in London in 1929. From then on, the characters of "Willows" became household names in the U.K. Milne, of course, wrote his own children's' books and created Winnie the Pooh. Grahame's fairy tale about four animals who became friends was soon a favorite of school children in the U.K. Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad entertain adults as well. Their animal lives are similar to those of humans. They talk and do just about everything that humans do. A cup of tea is as natural to them as it is to the citizenry of EnglandToad's fascinations, first with a horse and wagon to explore the world, and then with racy automobiles, that lead to trouble. His friends have to keep him under lock and key to "dry" him out - that is, until he goes through withdrawal and gets over his craze. Anyone with alcohol or drug addiction experiences will recognize this aspect of the film right away. Toad and his friends never became as popular in America (where other cartoon characters did, i.e. Winnie the Pooh, the "Peanuts" characters of Charles Schulz and other cartoon characters). Still, the fable is a classic that may amuse and delight young and old for generations. This film is made with stop-action animation.
together with jeremy brett's sherlock holmes and the burlesque of allô allô, this was a landmark for a very young admirer of brit-fashioned TV productions. i saw this for the very first time on the telly and i suppose this was but the movie of the series. today i know this movie is a fair piece of artwork that moulded my life: i teach English. the characters are so exquisite and the scenario is state-of-the-art tasteful paintings. the Gothic side of the movie is also an allurement to it. when mole leaves in search of badger, part of the tone of the movie is clear: there's true darkness in those woods. that darkness is also stressed through the gory mole's fingernails. there's much violence, too, for those who like a pinch of tavern-like brawl. it's a sweet translation into moving pictures of a great story for parents to read their kids when they misbehave and have problems with the increasing, and at times puzzling, importance of friendships in their lives. there's the hilarious water-dancing of the ducks in the river and the truly tiresome teenager frog. beautiful. beautiful.
I have seen many different versions of Kenneth Grahame's famous and popular story of the river and the characters that live in it. This is the clay cartoon version where the characters (I think) are made of Plastercine and do not move much, unlike the Aardman Animations clay work. I think you know the story already. Mole gets out of his hole, meets Rat, they meet Toad, go in the wild wood, meet Badger, Toad goes to prison for nicking a motor car and so on and so forth. Toad is the only character I have always liked in and Wind in the Willows. This one is voiced very well by Sir David Jason. It won the BAFTA for Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama) in 1984, and it was nominated the same award in 1985. A TV series followed this, which was was number 56 on The 100 Greatest Kids' TV Shows, and it was number 69 on The 100 Greatest Cartoons. Worth watching!
The stop motion animation is simply wonderful, the characters exquisitely rendered, the actors delightful, the script true to the spirit of the original. This will be enjoyed on different levels by both children and adults. It is decidedly NOT merely for children, anymore than "The Nightmare Before Christmas." This is a beautiful and timeless production that deserves to live forever.