Canada Vignettes: Log Driver's Waltz

One of the best known NFB films, the movie mirthfully depicts a woman's decision to turn down chances to dance with doctors, lawyers and tycoons, and instead chooses to dance with a log driver. In this celebration of the men who for generations drove logs from northern forests to sawmills and pulp mills in the South - one of Canada's most important industries - the woman wants to dance with one of the men who scampers over the logs as they hurtle downstream, keeping them from jamming against the shoreline, because he can dance better than any man. This animation short is directed by John Weldon, one of the NFB's most prolific and skilled animators.

This short animated film (three minutes) was very cute and a lot of fun to watch.

It's colorful animation set to one song: "The Log Driver's Waltz," sung by Kate and Anna McGarrigle and the Mountain City Four. It's what he used to call a "folk song." It's a catchy song and amusing to hear.

The beginning had me puzzled as to whether this was what it was advertised, namely an animated movie, because we actual footage of Canadian loggers doing their thing down some river. Those guys are pretty nimble, by the way. All of a sudden, the picture turns to animation and we see one logger going down the "white water," and a ton of things happening en route, including a marriage. There is so much to see in just two minutes there is no sense describing it all except to say it's very entertaining with bright, bold colors and humorous animation.

The latter was provided by John Weldon, who directed and drew it. I can see why Leonard Maltin picked this simple little tale as part of his DVD called "Leonard Maltin's Animation Favorites From The National Film Board Of Canada.

http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/4309/

For he goes birling down a down a white water that's where the log driver learns to step lightly For he goes birling down a down a white water A log driver's waltz pleases girls completely For he goes birling down a down a white water that's where the log driver learns to step lightly For he goes birling down a down a white water A log driver's waltz pleases girls completely For he goes birling down a down a white water that's where the log driver learns to step lightly For he goes birling down a down a white water A log driver's waltz pleases girls completely

a very short flim about a girl and her boyfriend the log driver.after you see and hear this nfb treasure you will be humming the song for a bit yet that is allright. so if you can find this little flim anywhere do yourself a favour and watch it.you will glad you did.

Ah, Canada, the neighboring country to the north of the United States, known for its obsession of hockey, is the birthplace of the band Rush, has many a public service announcement that jumps straight to the point with no f***s given, and yes, being one of the key sources of income for the logging industry. There are a few shorts and feature films from Canada's National Film Board that pretty much sum up the entire country in general. What we have here is one of those shorts, and to this day, out of all of the films in the NFB's library, this is the one that's the most requested and beloved amongst the Canadian people.

"Log Driver's Waltz", directed and animated by independent filmmaker John Weldon, is a three-minute animated piece made as part of the Canada Vignettes series hosted by the NFB, and is based on the national folk song of the same name written by Wade Hemsworth. Sung by Kate and Anna McGarrigle, as well as the Mountain City Four, it tells the story of a young woman's admiration for her boyfriend, a log driver. If you don't know what one is, it's someone who moves cut logs to sawmills by driving them down a river. During the short, we see the blonde-haired log driver himself who probably does his job a little too well, from hopping from one log to another, dancing/bouncing on it, playing the accordion while on it, and riding it down a hectic white water river that would, in reality, kill an average person. So, based on what we see in the film, the titular log driver is the most bad-ass Canadian who ever lived.

Let me start off by saying that the song itself is ungodly catchy. Like, after you've heard it, it will not leave your head for sometime. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is up to you, but as someone who enjoys folk songs, I don't mind. Regardless, the main thing I love about this short is the flowing (no pun intended) and bouncy animation that never stops and fits with the song altogether, which, as a cartoonist myself, I have to admire. It's all hand-drawn, makes good use of rotoscoping, especially at the beginning where it transitions from live-action footage to animation, and is as pretty to look at as the Canadian wilderness itself.

This was a short I first saw on Turner Classic Movies as part of an animation festival back in early April, and I have to say, I'm glad this was included in one of the four blocks shown. I can see why it's the most requested film from the NFB and why many hold it in such high regard. It's a nice little film that can pretty much cheer up anyone who is feeling down, and is a great representation of Canada and its historical culture. As for getting the song out of your head when the film's finished, I got three words for ya: good luck. Even as of now, that song hasn't left my head, and actually, I don't mind it.

The film can be viewed for free on the National Film Board of Canada's website (www.nfb.ca) or on their YouTube channel.