"Gusi-lebedi" or "Geese Swans" is an 18-minute (at least the version I saw) cartoon from 1949. If you read the names Ivan Ivanov-Vano and Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya who made this one, you will know immediately that this is an animated movie. And a pretty good one. I think it needed a little while to get going, but the sequences towards the end with the two children and the witch were a pretty exciting watch. The animation is also convincing for almost 70 years ago and pretty much on par with what Americans did during that time (Disney and Warner Bros.). And this film has a hedgehog, which is a personal plus with me as I love this animal, even if he does not really have that much screen time. All in all, a good watch with some dramatic moments and a good story. I recommend you to check it out.
3 Reviews
Left in charge of her little brother as her parents go out, Mashenka leaves him alone for a little while. He get's abducted by geese-swans in service of the witch Baba-Yaga
ewevrij10 July 2012
One of the greatest fairytale animations of it's era. In a classic fairytale structure, somewhere in between the Grimm fairy tales "Hansl & Gretl" ( Witch wanting to eat the brother) and "Frau Holle" (Girl getting rewarded for helping an oven, an apple-tree etc.)
Left in charge of her little brother as her parents go to town, Mashenka leaves him alone for a little while to play with her friends. The little boy get's abducted by a group of geese-swans in service of the witch Baba-Yaga Mashenka set's out to free him, and receives help from an oven, a brook, an apple-tree and later a hedgehog
The IMDb wrongly credits Ivan Ivanov-Vano for the co-direction, but it's co-directed by Albert Ivanov, next to Alexandra Snezhko-Blotskaya. Unfortunately the IMDb is very incomplete and unreliable for Russian animation. Ivan was working at " The stranger's voice" at the time.
See http://www.animator.ru/db/?ver=eng&p=show_film&fid=2982. for the correct credits.
Left in charge of her little brother as her parents go to town, Mashenka leaves him alone for a little while to play with her friends. The little boy get's abducted by a group of geese-swans in service of the witch Baba-Yaga Mashenka set's out to free him, and receives help from an oven, a brook, an apple-tree and later a hedgehog
The IMDb wrongly credits Ivan Ivanov-Vano for the co-direction, but it's co-directed by Albert Ivanov, next to Alexandra Snezhko-Blotskaya. Unfortunately the IMDb is very incomplete and unreliable for Russian animation. Ivan was working at " The stranger's voice" at the time.
See http://www.animator.ru/db/?ver=eng&p=show_film&fid=2982. for the correct credits.
Geese Swans
TheLittleSongbird2 August 2019
Not an awful lot to add to what has already been said, and what has already been said was summed up very well. Russian animation, Soyuzmultfilm, animation based on fairy/folk tales, ingredients that have me sold even when it is just one of them, all of them and my interest is even bigger. If you haven't any of Soyuzmultfilm's work yet and are a fan of animation and ones not from the UK or US, you are in for a treat.
'Geese Swans' in no way disappointed after having very high hopes. To me, it is towards Soyuzmultfilm's best, coming from somebody who considers a lot of their work classics and holds the studio in very high regard. And have done since being introduced to them after watching their version of 'The Snow Queen', one of the best versions of that classic story. It is a little bit of a slow starter, but once it gets going 'Geese Swans' cannot be recommended highly enough.
One of its best assets is the animation. Especially the landscapes and the backgrounds, which are nothing short of incredible. Also loved touches like the oven and apple trees that did remind me of 'Mother Holle'. Speaking of 'Mother Holle', 'Geese Swans' did remind me of a mix of that and 'Hansel and Gretel', or at least struck me as being influenced by them. Have always liked both stories (especially 'Hansel and Gretel', which is more familiar with me) so that was great.
The music is playful, lush in orchestration and atmospheric, its use, tone and placement always ideal and not in any way discordant with the action.
Have already mentioned the mix or of those two classic stories and the story is executed very well. The charm is present throughout and the end portion has genuine excitement. Liked the characters a lot, especially the witch who is quite creepy. And yeah, who doesn't have a little bit of a soft spot for hedgehogs?
Summing up, great. 9/10
'Geese Swans' in no way disappointed after having very high hopes. To me, it is towards Soyuzmultfilm's best, coming from somebody who considers a lot of their work classics and holds the studio in very high regard. And have done since being introduced to them after watching their version of 'The Snow Queen', one of the best versions of that classic story. It is a little bit of a slow starter, but once it gets going 'Geese Swans' cannot be recommended highly enough.
One of its best assets is the animation. Especially the landscapes and the backgrounds, which are nothing short of incredible. Also loved touches like the oven and apple trees that did remind me of 'Mother Holle'. Speaking of 'Mother Holle', 'Geese Swans' did remind me of a mix of that and 'Hansel and Gretel', or at least struck me as being influenced by them. Have always liked both stories (especially 'Hansel and Gretel', which is more familiar with me) so that was great.
The music is playful, lush in orchestration and atmospheric, its use, tone and placement always ideal and not in any way discordant with the action.
Have already mentioned the mix or of those two classic stories and the story is executed very well. The charm is present throughout and the end portion has genuine excitement. Liked the characters a lot, especially the witch who is quite creepy. And yeah, who doesn't have a little bit of a soft spot for hedgehogs?
Summing up, great. 9/10
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