Il pifferaio magico

Based on the true story of the disappearance of 130 children around the year 1200, a tragic story that gave life to a legend that ended up uniting peoples, the City of Hamelin receives thousands of tourists, a cute, vindictive and meaningful short film ...

This Silly Symphonies cartoon begins with a graphic example of how rats are overpowering Hamelin Town, all to the tune of a spirited song about the little creatures. The mayor of the city offers a bag of gold to anyone who will help the townspeople get rid of all the rats. The Pied Piper turns up, announcing he'll reduce the overrun rat population and accept the bag of gold for reward.

Next thing you know, the little critters are all following him down a country road far away from town and he's ready to return for his gold.

"I've done my work as I was told and now I'll take my bag of gold."

The Mayor refuses to carry out the bargain and the townspeople say all he did was play a tune, so the Piper declares he'll remove all the children of the town from their influence. And so, he woos them off to a childhood paradise where they can sing and play rather than be used as little more than hard-worked servants by their parents.

Charming animation helps make it a morality tale with a happy ending.

With a few new twists on the classic poem, this is an interesting and charming Silly Symphony. What I loved most was the beautiful animation and the sweet, charming music that is playful, whimsical and simple. I found myself chanting along the townspeople in the chorus "Rats!Rats!We Gotta Get Rid of the Rats!" The characters aren't too bad either, the pied Piper of the title is very likable, the children are cute and the Mayor is seen as quite greedy and manipulative.

The pacing is a little uneven here, but compared to how much I enjoyed The Pied Piper it is a minor criticism. Overall, this is very enjoyable and charming with a few new and nice twists on the poem. 9/10 Bethany Cox

We all know the story of the evil mayor of Hamelin who promises the Pied Piper a great reward for ridding the city of rats. But, of course, he decides not to pay up and the children of the city pay the price. The problem is that there is no repentance. The townspeople are just ignored at the end. Too saccharine.

This great classic short movie is underrated.

Please watch this movie with kids and take the hidden messages. If you lose control of temptations around you, what you get is what you got.