How a Mosquito Operates

I must thank the great Britanic film director Mike Leigh for including this animated film between his Top 10 films of all time otherwise I wouldn't know about it and see how cool this is. And the strangest thing is that is quite rare you see a film director or a actor quoting a animation as one of his favorites films.

Why "How a Mosquito Operates" is so fascinating? It's simplicity, originality and the way it was made makes this animation one of the most interesting ever made. Released in 1912 (yes, on the same year the Titanic sank) this short animated film tells in a very charming and funny way the story of a hunger mosquito that flies away into the apartment of a man only to suck his blood. This situation probably happened to everybody, we are sleeping or trying to sleep and then a mosquito appears bugging us, biting us, flying all around. So here's a film that present us a simple story yet very funny to watch.

The techniques employed here are very good, making this film very good to look at even today in a sophisticated era whose animated films have the best techniques, the most interesting stories and all of that. The way the story was told was incredibly original, using comical effects (the mosquito doesn't fly to get into the apartment, he climbs the door and enters into a passage, very funny moment) and believe me it's great for educational purposes. If a kid asks you how and why a mosquito operates instead of telling a boring and long conversation about the issue show to the kid this animation. It will present some education and laughs at the same time.

Director and creator of "How a Mosquito Operates" (AKA "The Story of a Mosquito") Winsor McCay made a wonderful job here. So everyone here's another must see film. 10/10

Like all of Winsor McKay's cartoons, this little mosquito fable uses his incredible artistic talent to its fullest and contains a surprising amount of wit for such a simple, short subject. Like his newspaper cartoons, McKay's animated films are distinctive in their art and humor, but the animated films are especially interesting because they lie at the very root of cartoons. Gags that are still being used today appear in this little gem. The collected works that contains Mosquito provides an amazing insight into a brand new art form that had unbounded possibilities in the early 1900s, possibilities that arguably are still unfolding today.

Okay, I'll admit this isn't the greatest cartoon ever made. It's silent, consists only of simple pencil drawings and never is all that interesting. So why is it STILL a worthwhile film? Well, it's so early and in its day it was considered state of the art. Plus, the film's creator, Winsor McCay, was responsible for some of the first animated heroes--in the forms of Gertie the Dinosaur and Little Nemo. So, because of this very important and impressive pedigree, this film is of great importance to animators, historians and Cinephiles alike. For what it is (an early experimental film), it is pretty good. Plus, without films like this, later more fleshed out cartoons wouldn't have been possible. Interesting and unique, that's for sure.

Mosquitoes are a bane to everyone. This little 1012 piece shows us the workings of just such a little bugger. He set his sights on a big guy who is trying to sleep. He is patient and enterprising. But he gorges himself and the results are pretty interesting. A reasonably good little film, astounding for the time in cinema history.

How a Mosquito Operates (1912)

*** (out of 4)

Winsor McCay film has an overweight man being followed home by a mosquito but things just get worse as the man tries to go to bed. Once in the bed the mosquito begins to attack him in order to get his blood. HOW A MOSQUITO OPERATES isn't a pure masterpiece or anything like that but you can't help but be entertained by his good nature and charm. I think my favorite bits are when the mosquito is having to come up with clever ways to stick the man who after a couple previous times decided to get up under the covers. The animation is extremely good and this includes a sequence where we see the mosquito sticking the man and drawing out the blood. The scene where the mosquito sticks the man's nose is quite painful to watch but it really brings the film to life. What struck me most about the film is the way it's animated but McCay is able to make everything appear so real that you're drawn into the film just like it was live action. The animation looks incredibly good and the two characters are likable in their own way.