A Vaca

Aleksandr Petrov again works wonders with his animating skills and his imagination. A young boy narrates to us the story of his life with the family's cow. They are a poor family, living hand to mouth and the animal is their lifeline. It provides the milk, it pulls the plough and when it has a calf, that is sold to put food on the table. The young lad's affection for the beast is palpable and the story unfolds we see how crucial it has been in his growing up - providing an element of stability through the times of uncertainty. There is something a little Dickensian about the style of drawing here, the brush-strokes giving it a grainy and earthy, authentic, look that reflects powerfully the basic subsistence lifestyle his family led, more probably endured. Much of this could be a collection of portraits, and those marry well for ten minutes of touching drama.

This takes a bit of effort. It is a bit lost in translation but tells the story of a young Russian boy and his relationship with a cow. He begins raising it and eventually it gives back to the family in so many ways. It focuses on the poverty these people endure and has a striking form of animation I've not seen before.

not only for Petrov technique. but for the taste of hot bread and fresh milk. for the surrealism. and for the quality of brick of a Russia image. a boy. and his cow. a story about a gesture. and a reaction. as memories. as confession. nothing complicated. only a travel in the heart of an universe. after its end, not the story remains important for viewer but the delicacy of last boy words air.something magic because it represents a beginning. like the film itself. a film for adults for remember small details who defines life. nothing more. only an exercise of remember. like a trip of a boy in search of his cow. the force of image. the genius and hard work of an artist. and the silence after its end. a form of magic who impress and seduce. and becomes part of yourself

his name is enough for define the film. because his animations are, always, fascinating oasis , delicate miracles, admirable example of precise art. in this case, all is the same. the atmosphere, the touching story, the flavor of childhood, the realism who becomes a fairy tale, the grace of colors, the sand on glass who change yourself. because it is more than a beautiful film. it is a precious adventure. portrait of humanity, subtle reflection of unique states of soul, beautiful definition of the importance of small things. and a wonderful trip across the early memories of each viewer.

This is the story about a poor family's cow and a young child's attachment to it.

I have admired the animated films of Aleksandr Petrov for some time, as they are terrific works of art come to life. Not surprisingly, he's won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film and been nominated several more times (starting with this film). You just can't help not admiring all the time and effort put into making these lovely films. Apparently, he uses a technique where you paint on glass to make the animations and I have only seen one other artist do similar work (Martine Chartrand and her short BLACK SOUL). The quality of this 1989 piece is about on part with Ms. Chartrand's, though Petrov's newer works are even better--with much higher quality art work and more vibrant colors. While THE COW is lovely, compared to the newer films such as MY LOVE and THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, it is obviously inferior simply because over time his skills have continued to increase. See this film by all means, but also try finding some of his newer films as well--you'll see what I mean and will be impressed by the increased fluidity and quality of the animation.

A lovely film that was justly Oscar nominated.