A Year in Shorts Day 48: "Peace on Earth"

While many people associate Christmas movies with good cheer and family fun, the genre has always had a dark side. From Black Christmas to Anna and the Apocalypse, there are plenty of Christmas movies out there with a body count. But none of them compare to Peace on Earth, a chipper little short in which a couple of baby squirrels learn about the annihilation of the human race.


(via Wikipedia)

In case you couldn't tell, this is a weird short. Released in 1939, only a few months after the start of World War II, Hugh Harman's Peace on Earth takes place in a world populated by anthropomorphized animals, who rebuilt society after humanity wiped itself out. It's a strangely dark subject for any animated short, especially a Christmas one, but I suppose its heart is in the right place. And there are definitely some powerful moments in this film, with the images of warfare and destruction being as beautifully animated as they are haunting.


(via IMDb)

At the same time, there's just something bizarre about the whole thing. I think it's the tone. For large portions of the short, Peace on Earth is just too cutesy, which clashes rather oddly with the film's darker elements. The humor is off, too. I'm not saying a serious short like this shouldn't have jokes, but they should at least be funny. It's not impossible to navigate these tonal shifts, but it's very tricky, and Peace on Earth doesn't quite pull it off.


Also the woodland creatures find religion.
(via TV Tropes)

Or maybe it does! It ranked in 40th place in the 50 Greatest Cartoons Poll and was (allegedly) nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, so perhaps I'm in the wrong here. Co-producer Fred Quimby would later remake this short after the war as Good Will to Men, bringing along frequent collaborators Joseph Hanna and William Barbera. I remember liking that short a bit more than this one, but as always, we'll have to wait and see if that remains the case.


Keep up with the Oscar Baiting here on Letterboxd!


The Great Oscar Baiter is a not-for-profit work of criticism. All images herein are property of their respective owners and are protected under Fair Use.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Song of the Week #15: "Take My Breath Away"

Image
I’ll put myself on a consistent schedule for these things one day, I promise. In my defense, there are a lot of movies to catch up on, and isn’t that what Oscar Baiting is all about? For instance- until recently, I’d never seen the original Top Gun! But with Top Gun: Maverick holding its spot as the biggest hit of the year (probably only to be dethroned by Black Panther or Avatar ) and even potentially soaring into the obligatory crowd pleaser Best Picture slot, I figured it was time to see where things began. Because while the Oscars Top Gun: Maverick may win have yet to be decided, the first Top Gun only went home with one- for the love theme, “Take My Breath Away.” (via Wikipedia) Love themes for films have gone a bit out of style these days, although for a long time it seemed to be a surefire way to nab a Best Song nomination. Seriously, look through the Wikipedia article and count how many times you see "Title Seemingly Chosen at Random (Love Theme from Movie You Didn...
Read more

Song of the Week #6: "The Ballad of High Noon"

Image
I was finally able to catch Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast this weekend, and I have to say it certainly lived up to the hype. There’s a lot to love about this movie, from the gorgeous black-and-white cinematography, the exquisite performances from both the seasoned veterans and newcomers in the cast, to a script that’s brimming with heart and humor. But one aspect of the film I don’t see a lot of people mention is the way it incorporates footage from other films- most notably Fred Zinnemann’s High Noon, using not only a scene from the movie itself but scoring two pivotal scenes with the film’s theme song, the aptly-named (and Oscar-winning) “The Ballad of High Noon.” It was a bold choice to be sure, but who could blame Branagh? It’s a great movie, and a great song- and the subject for today’s installment in Song of the Week. (via Wikipedia) For those of you haven't seen High Noon... well, you really should get on that, it's a classic! Aside from being a taut, tightly edited thril...
Read more

Song of the Week #14- "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"

Image
I was watching Belfast with my friend last week, and- like all great films- it raised a lot of questions. Questions like, “Hey, remember the last time I watched Belfast and was inspired to write a blog post because of it ?” and “Hey, why haven’t I written anything Oscar Bait related in a while?” Well, luckily for all of us “The Ballad of High Noon” wasn’t the only Oscar-nominated song featured in Belfast. Unluckily for us, that other song just happens to be “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” (via Wikipedia) Readers of this blog will hopefully remember that I love a good movie musical. Sadly, those were few and far between in the 1960s. Oh sure, movie musicals certainly had a brief resurgence in those days. Many of them were big hits, both critically and commercially. Hell, Best Picture went to a musical on four separate occasions in that decade! But how many of them were actually any good? Not a lot. Oh sure, The Music Man is great fun and Mary Poppins is a classic. But far too many mu...
Read more