What is the best adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s books. My pick is “The Lorax,” and I think most people would say “The Grinch.” According to the man himself it is this 1989 tv special directed by Ralph Bakshi.
It starts with depressing mood with sad music and a somber narration by the grandson “On the last day of Summer ten hours before Fall.” Hmmm. That sounds a like a weird way to say the date and time. His grandfather takes him to the wall, and he exposits the difference between themselves (Yooks) on one side and the Zooks on the other. The Zooks eat bread butterside down and Yooks eat it butterside up.
This is not a subtle cold war allegory, and I really do not think most of the symbolism works. There is a lot of differences between Communism and capitalism than that. The Wall being the Iron Curtain is a much nicer touch since it can illustrate both sides being very physically close, but the armed soldiers are replaced by civilians mocking each other. Another nice touch is the Yooks have their own pledge of allegiance to butter side up.
This pledge of allegiance is part of two saving graces this has. A common problem with overly dark art is it tries to present all problems as the work of one bad man, and this never does that. All the civilians except the grandson are fully supportive of exterminating the other side including the teachers and… Absolutely everybody. It does tell the viewer to analyze themselves and focus on their own “us vs. them” issues instead of just blaming our leaders or the other side.
Grandfather tells his grandson about his history as a soldier guarding the border. The timeline gets hard to understand, but more on that later. He tells about how he would chase and Zooks away with his switch, and it is clear he loves them being scared of him, but they have an equivalent, Vanitch. He slingshots away his weapon, and this sets up some episodic back and forth arms race. The general gist is Grandfather goes to their mayor whose scientists have made a tougher weapon. Grandfather goes back victorious. Then Vanitch who is doing the same off-screen comes back with a tougher weapon victoriously. The movie eventually cuts the parts from the book where Grandpa is victorious at all just having Vanitch already waiting with a better weapon, which does make grandpa more of a determined born unlucky loser.
Grandfather goes to the mayor, and instead he is greeted by a hand guiding him down miles and miles of stairs. The short loses all sound for a while making it eerie. They have made an explosive chemical and super compressed it into a marble sized device that when dropped will destroy all the Zooks. The mayor tells him to drop it, while he has ordered all Yooks underground.
There is one point where both the Yook and Zook citizens sing the same song about beating each other saying they are not so different and again states the problems are with the people, not just the guys in Moscow, Washington, or Whoville. At one point Grandfather is motivated by a corny “never give up” song, and I think Seuss was parodying ’90s Disney before it even happened. The actual message of the scene is that at times it is best to give up. In fact right after this song they go from weapons designed to hurt anybody going over the wall to damaging Zooks and Yooks even far away from the wall.
Look at those backgrounds to fit the mood all green and blue are gone briefly.
All the happy for war faces are gone.
Well, one comes back.
Next scene shows the Zooks also going underground. Grandfather continues with a serious smile and runs into his grandson.
Some narration by his grandson made it obvious something got cut, so I found it in the book. In the special Grandfather gave some exposition to give further details on his history as the military. Then apparently came the bomb, and he ran into his grandson on the way there. It is hard to tell what is a flashback and what is not. In the book it confirms that everything up to here has been a flashback. Before blowing up the place Grandpa gave a history lesson for this next line in both versions. “But perhaps this is all for the better somehow. You will see me make history right here and right now. You will see your old gramp put an end to them all.”
Before he drops it Vanitch shows up with his own bomb, and they have a standstill on the wall with the grandson teling Grandpa to be careful not to accidently drop it. Grandpa’s expressions keep changing from fear to anger. It end with “The End. (maybe).”
What was the first line again? “On the last day of Summer ten hours before Fall.”
This leads to the final saving grace, it goes all out.
I hate the general concept, but I think it is an impressive execution, especially when you can see the signs that Grandpa is not the kind old man he acts like. It is not something I enjoy watching, but I appreciate how dark they get it.
Next time on August 10th- Let’s try this again
The Animation Historian 