utgard14
Wonderful Disney animated short that has a lot of significance, both artistically and from an animation history perspective. I just love this cartoon. The plot, such as it is, has various adorable animals living in an old windmill and dealing with a scary thunderstorm. It's so simple but so effective and just gorgeous to look at. The animation is sublime with beautifully drawn characters and backgrounds, rich colors, and some of the best use of lighting to create atmosphere you'll ever see in a cartoon. If you loved the spooky part of Snow White where she's running through the woods, you'll love this. This is Disney's first use of the multiplane camera, which creates a short of three-dimensional effect. It played a big role in the making of those early Disney feature-length classics we all know and love. The music in this is also very enchanting and perfectly matches the animation. This is truly a work of art. Lovely from start to finish. A real classic that everyone who loves vintage animation should see at least once.
Michael_Elliott
The Old Mill (1937) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Excellent Silly Symphonies short from Disney takes place at the title location. We see an old mill and then we witness several animals take shelter there just as a major storm starts to blow in.If you're looking for some sort of plot or character driven story then you're going to be disappointed. This really reminded me of what Disney would do a few years later in FANTASIA as this here is really all about the visuals and the score that goes with it. The images are certainly quite beautiful and it's easy to see something like this and realize why Disney really did change animation and especially when you compare this to other bits of animation from this period. The colors of the creatures make them come to life and the storm itself just has so much detail that you can just feel the wind blowing on your neck. Certainly one of the studios best works.
action-6
The Old Mill is a genuine masterpiece from Disney`s chest of treasures. It is not a witty movie, so those of you who must laugh at a Disneymovie better avoid this.The setting is an old mill, which you should guess from the title. The Old Mill is filled with atmosphere, nice drawings and classic music, which makes it a real joy to watch. 9,5/10
Lou Rugani
To many, the 1930s is the Golden Age of film animation. A wonderful palette of colors runs throughout The Old Mill, a labor of love for the master artists who would continue their craft through the great Disney triumphs yet to come. It's a film of moods and impressions, all set within a brief period towards nightfall early on one summer's evening. An abandoned windmill rests in a pastoral setting, its productive days behind it, with only wildlife visiting the weathered old structure to seek shelter within. As evening falls, there is a play of light from the fireflies; crickets chirp and the nearby frog pond is alive with the sounds of the impending night. But a gust of wind signals an approaching storm - and Leigh Harline's soundtrack music now becomes ominous, as the freshening breeze begins to nudge the long-disused windmill blades. The creatures seek shelter, and now the only sound is the rising wind ... and soon it becomes a gale, raging at full fury, and the rotted ropes that secure the tattered blades can no longer hold against the violence of the storm. The age-weakened ropes sever - and the old windmill begins to turn one final time, the wooden gears meshing again, and picking up speed with every revolution in concert with the force of nature driving them. The storm worsens, and in an unforgettable image the windmill, silhouetted against the raging sky and rain by flashes of lightning, becomes an apparition, alive with mindless motion and energy. Amidst the roaring thunder comes one mighty bolt of lightning, and . . . See "The Old Mill", with its wonderful, rare artistry in sight, color, action, sound and music. A masterpiece, with a Top Rating of 10.(A note of caution: the storm scene is intense, and will frighten the very young and/or impressionable.)
AD
