Overlooked Specials 11th Day of Christmas

11^th Day of Christmas:

The Little Matchgirl

In less than seven minutes this mesmerizing piece of animation exudes more emotion and character than over half the Disney films, which isn’t to insult Disney by any means. This short was made by Disney, based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and is both warming and genuinely heartbreaking. Told with no dialogue and with gorgeous music, it’s about a poor little girl attempting to sell matchsticks in Revolution-era St. Petersburg during a harsh winter. I won’t say much more but the animation is absolutely stunning, easily among the best I’ve ever seen in the hand-drawn medium. It’s colour scheme that alternates in some instances, sets the mood perfectly and captures what bleak winters often seem to look like. Though it’s only explicitly connected to Christmas through brief imagery, the central theme is very heavily a Christmas one, and has been ever since Dickens emphasized it in A Christmas Carol. If you’re willing to be moved possibly to tears by an exquisitely crafted, beautifully told little story, watch this hidden gem the first chance you get!

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