This short is an excellently animated look at the history of the British rise and decline as a colonial power, using a bulldog as the symbol of that rise and subsequent recession. Remarkable use of black and white versus color makes this even more noteworthy. Joanna Quinn has a nice touch with things. Her short Famous Fred is 180 degrees from Britannia and shows some breadth as well as depth to her work. This one was nominated for a BAFTA and deservedly so. It's available on Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation Vol. 3, if I recall the number correctly and the tape as a whole is worthy of your attention. Well worth watching. Most highly recommended.
2 Reviews
Hey Bulldog
Rectangular_businessman12 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This was the very first animation by Joanna Quinn I ever saw in my life. I still consider it her best and most memorable work.
The message might obvious, but necessary, taking a very critical look to the history of Britain, without sugarcoating its past linked to colonialism.
While the tone is humorously satirical for most part, there are a couple moments with a much haunting, uncomfortable feel, particularly in the scene where the bulldog starts capturing people from Africa, licking them in a lecherous manner before using them as a necklace.
The end, the ferocious bulldog is turned into nothing more than a mere lapdog, ridiculous and harmless. But the ghost of colonialism is still pretty much alive in our world, even if empires don't officially exist anymore.
And people from underveloped countries continues to be exploited by the cruel, dehumanizing machinery of our economic system.
The message might obvious, but necessary, taking a very critical look to the history of Britain, without sugarcoating its past linked to colonialism.
While the tone is humorously satirical for most part, there are a couple moments with a much haunting, uncomfortable feel, particularly in the scene where the bulldog starts capturing people from Africa, licking them in a lecherous manner before using them as a necklace.
The end, the ferocious bulldog is turned into nothing more than a mere lapdog, ridiculous and harmless. But the ghost of colonialism is still pretty much alive in our world, even if empires don't officially exist anymore.
And people from underveloped countries continues to be exploited by the cruel, dehumanizing machinery of our economic system.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
