Il était une fois un chien

Eduard Nazarov's adaptation of a Ukrainian folk tale depicts a dog and wolf who come up with creative ways to help each other (unbeknownst to the dog's owners). Seeing how the dog's owners treated him, it's no wonder that he joined up with the wolf to devise a scheme. The animation in "Zhil-byl pyos" (alternately called "Once Upon a Dog" and "Once Upon a Time there Lived a Dog" in English) isn't what we think of as advanced, but I don't care about the animation looks. I care about the plot, and there's a good one here, with some impressive voice work. A lot of these old Eastern Bloc cartoons are worth seeing. Certainly more interesting than the these animated features starring the celebrities of the moment. I recommend it.

A dog is getting near the end of his life, and, despite being loyal and productive, he now falls on hard times. He is tired all the time and his inactivity gets him in trouble. When he fails at his watchdog duty, he is literally booted off the farm. He eventually meets a wolf. They realize there needs to be a necessary symbiosis if they are to survive. Their love and compassion for one another are the roots of this pleasant story.W

Probably, the best Soviet cartoon. It is based upon Ukrainian folk stories and tells us a story about friendship between dog and a wolf in critical moments of their lives. First a wolf saves a dog when the latter driven out from home, then a dog saves a wolf from hunger at winter. Unspeakable and untranslatable magic shines through every frame of this masterpiece. I highly recommend it to every person - it is continuous moment of truth.