The Old Mill

The Old Mill was a Silly Symphony developed as a test for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which was just going into production at the time. What came out of it is utterly beautiful. It is possibly the best Disney short, even rivalling The Skeleton Dance. 10/10.

I was first introduced to The Old Mill when footage of it was recycled into a "Blueberry Hill" music video on DTV. I liked the dark, cloudy and atmospheric animation and the video became one of my favourites. The cartoon itself features a decrepit old windmill and the surrounding pond which is home to everything from frogs to bats. When a stormy night rolls in chaos ensues and the animals struggle to make it through.

For a 72-year-old cartoon the animation is wonderful. There's not a human or a line of dialogue in the whole 9 minutes but there's still a great little story to be told. For all of these reasons it's no wonder that it won an Academy Award.

'The Old Mill' was a short Disney film (about 8 minutes long) that the animators created to aid them in the production of 'Bambi'. I saw this on the Disney channel when I was younger, and the animation is so powerful that it stuck with me. Now, I've watched it again as a clip provided on the 'Bambi' DVD. The clip features several creatures that live in and around an old mill, and there is a storm. All of the events taking place are done to powerful music from the singing of the frogs to the storm, and there are no speaking parts. It's purely nature and Disney animation at its best. Hopefully, a greater appreciation for nature can be learned through this film as I think it is something taken for granted by most today. And it is amazing that an animation can be so powerful through minimalisation and sound. It's much better quality than some of the computer-animated clutter. Wonderful.

I can't praise this beautiful masterpiece of a cartoon enough. The animation is absolutely stunning, and the storm effects were excellent, certainly give Snow White and Fantasia a run for their money. I didn't find the Old Mill dull in any way, it was beautiful and just perfect. Another special mention has to go to the music, its lyricality somehow reminded me of the countryside on a beautiful summer's day, and the animals the swallows especially were a delight. They never spoke, but were beautifully incorporated into the story, and there was a lot of genuine fright when the storm started. Who wouldn't be frightened, it was a truly wonderful moment.

Overall, just beautiful, I can't find another word to describe how good it really was. I will admit I forgot I was watching a eight minute or so cartoon, and insisted I was watching a work of art. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Humor - Pathos - Suspense - Beauty - it's all here in this 8 minute gem! This is one I can watch again and again and again and enjoy every minute of it. A nice foreshadow of great things to come: Fantasia, Bambi, etc.